Buildings Don't Fall
by K5Rakitan
Summary: An explosive tale of lust and treason... Multi-character fic. Yugi x Ishizu, Mai x Joey, OC x OC x Seto x Kisara x Tristan x Serenity x Mokuba x OC
1. Wednesday, December 25

**Author's Note: **This is the sequel to Rakitan Industries, the first story I wrote. I am working on the prequel and re-writing Rakitan Industries now, so some of this might not make sense until I get all of that back up. I am slowly but surely closing the gap between The Best Democracy Money Can Buy and this story. I hope that you will still find this enjoyable even if you have not read Rakitan Industries.

**Disclaimer: **This story is inspired by true events, but any character resemblances to real people are merely coincidental. Apart from a few scientific facts, this is not meant to be a description of what really happened. It is purely fantasy. Also, I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of the songs mentioned throughout this story. I only own Noel/Rakitan Industries.

**Prologue: **Over the past nine months, many things have happened. Seto Kaiba replaced most of his household staff with people he could trust; mostly members of Amanda's family. Mokuba and Penguin have been flirting a lot, but so far no significant progress has been made in their relationship. Penguin recently gave birth to a healthy baby boy, and dropped him off at the Domino City Orphanage. Seto Kaiba and his family planned to adopt the child on Christmas Day… right after church.

**Chapter 1 Wednesday, December 25**

Kisara stood by her husband, Tristan, and her aging mother-in-law. It was Christmas Day, and mass was about to begin. Tristan and Kisara had both been raised Catholic, but this was the first time in several years they had attended church. In fact, they had not been to church since they left home for college. The two of them had met during their second semester at Dartmouth University. Upon graduating, they eloped and never looked back… until now. Tristan's father died a week ago and his mother had begged him to come back to Domino so she would not have to spend Christmas alone. Reluctantly, Tristan and Kisara both put in for a month's worth of vacation time from their careers in America and flew back to Japan.

Kisara felt uncomfortable in the church. She had felt that way ever since puberty when she started having strange dreams. The same man always appeared to her and for the life of her she could not figure out why. She felt a strange connection with him, and although she did not know his name, she had secretly made up a name for him. She thought of him fondly as the king of her heart. Unfortunately, "king" was also a name frequently used for Jesus. Being in church bitterly reminded her that she had never actually met the king of her heart, so she avoided it as much as possible.

When Kisara left for college, the emptiness still did not go away. She confided her dreams in Tristan, who admitted that he also loved someone who he would probably never see again outside of his dreams. The only difference was that Tristan had already met the woman of his dreams once and failed to seal the deal before he completed high school and left for college. Deciding that they would be each other's best hope for life-long love, they married and settled down in America.

Kisara knelt down and prayed in a pious display for Tristan's mother. Kisara enjoyed taking this posture because it allowed her to shield her face from prying eyes while she contemplated, or tried not to contemplate, the king of her heart.

Tristan knelt beside his wife and whispered in the softest possible tone, "She's here. I was afraid of this. This is why I didn't want to come back to Domino."

Kisara knew immediately what he meant. A pang of jealously surged through her as she wondered what Tristan's high-school sweetheart could have that she did not have. Determined to find out for herself, she asked, "Which one is she?"

"She is directly across from us on the right side of the church. She's the one in pink, and her husband is right next to her."

Kisara raised her head and looked at the people in the adjoining pew. A jolt of shock ran through her body as she recognized a tall man with neatly trimmed brown hair. She had seen him on television a few times, but the connection never clicked until now. It was not his features, but his aura that gave him away. Kisara gulped and lowered her head quickly.

"What is it?" her husband whispered.

"Tristan, it's him. He's here."

…..

Mokuba, Serenity, Seto, Joan, Janet, and Sarah had arrived at the church with barely enough time to get a good seat. They were late because Seto had tried to get out of going at the last minute. Seto hated church, but Serenity and Mokuba thought it was good for the kids. Serenity also liked to socialize with the other families, and she felt uncomfortable when she had to make excuses for Seto's absence. Church also allowed the Kaibas to present a good face to the public. As the CEO of one of the largest corporations in the world, Seto Kaiba had to maintain good public relations to stay in business.

Joan, on the other hand, had no reason for being here other than to keep Seto company and pretend to be Mokuba's girlfriend. Although she enjoyed church as much as Serenity and Mokuba, she preferred to attend a small church out in the countryside. This cathedral, nestled between some of the largest skyscrapers in Domino City, was too huge and impersonal for her. In addition, this was the church where Joan took the sacrament of reconciliation, and no self-respecting Catholic confesses to the same priest that says their regular mass if they can avoid it. In this case, however, the priest was the one who had reason to feel uncomfortable.

Seto whispered to Joan, "So, have you Noelites ever considered making the Catholic Church pay for their abuses of little boys?"

"We have, but it's not really our cup of tea. The Church as an institution is really no more guilty of this particular offense than the police force. Statistically speaking, individuals from every institution on the planet molest children with equal frequency. The Church just got more flack from it because of their hypocrisy. Besides, the mainstream media has already done the topic to death. The government wants to keep the Church under its thumb because it of all institutions is the most organized and poses the greatest threat for a potential revolution. If anything, Noel would work to heal the public's opinion of the Church," Joan said under her breath.

The congregation stood. The mass started, and the priest processed into the church with his entourage of alter boys. "So, what about this one? What do you think he does when he is all alone with those little servants of his?" Seto persisted.

Joan bit back a laugh for a few seconds before she calmed down enough to whisper again. "He's straight. A little kinky, but still straight."

The priest reached the alter, bowed before the crucifix, and turned to face the congregation. "Good Morning," he greeted.

"Good morning, Father John," the congregation answered.

Father John scanned the congregation and caught sight of Joan. His eyes immediately jerked away, then back, then away again. "Tit… Today at Our Lady of F-faith, we celibate, er, _celebrate_ the b-birth of Jesus Christ our Lord and S-savior, the prince of P-peace, and King of Heaven and Earth. Amen." Father John struggled through the rest of the mass introduction and then the congregation took their seats again.

Seto whispered to Joan, "You can't be serious about that dweeb. He can't even do his own job right, so how could he even begin to do you right?"

"You would be surprised. Besides, he usually speaks much more clearly than this at mass; I've seen a few recordings of him. Anyway, I think it's cute how he gets all nervous when I'm here." Joan squirmed a little and slipped her hand into Seto's lap.

Seto gently picked up her hand and held it firmly to keep it from wandering elsewhere. "What are you thinking?" he hissed.

"I've been a bad girl," said Joan, "I think I need a time-out."

"Forget it. Just behave yourself."

Joan looked at Seto lustfully, but Seto just smirked back in return. "Let's see how long you can hold back. If you're good, I'll take you in the limo after mass… after we get home."

Joan pouted, but eased off on her attempts to get into Seto's pants. Instead, she focused on going through the motions of the mass just like the rest of the people who were present. That is, everyone except for two.

….

Kisara, who had been keeping an eye on the Kaiba family, whispered to Tristan, "So, if Serenity is the one in pink, who is the girl in red?"

"Beats me," replied Tristan, "Maybe she is Kaiba's sister or something. Kaiba never mentioned having a sister, but I can't imagine anyone else fooling around with him like that, especially right in front of his wife.

"Maybe she is Kaiba's sister-in-law," Kisara suggested, "See the two kids? One looks more like Kaiba while the other one looks more like his younger brother. Do you think Mokuba could have gotten married while you were away?"

"That's a good possibility. Why don't we ask them after mass?"

"Are you sure that's a good idea? After all, you have a history with Serenity, and Kaiba looks so much like the man of my dreams."

"You're right, darling. I think we should leave well enough alone. Serenity looks happy, and I doubt she wants to talk to me."

Despite Tristan's resolve to avoid Serenity and let bye-gones be bye-gones, he found himself standing next to her while waiting in line for communion. Likewise, Kisara found herself standing beside the king of her heart as the double lines moved slowly forward to the front of the church while the choir sang "Panis Angelicus."

Under ordinary circumstances, Serenity would never speak during this sacred time of contemplation on the Body of Christ. However, in this case, she felt that it would be rude not to say something. She smiled at her high-school sweetheart and said, "Tristan! Is that really you? I haven't seen you in ages! Meet me after mass so we can catch up!"

"Sh-shure!" Tristan stuttered, "Um… yeah, after mass."

Just behind them, Seto and Kisara exchanged glances. Having never been properly introduced to each other, neither of them felt that it would be appropriate to speak. However, they exchanged bashful smiles.

Just behind Seto and Kisara, Joan was paired with Tristan's mother. The pious woman stared straight in front of her and did not even turn her head for an instant to look at Joan. It was of no consequence, though. Joan's focus was elsewhere. As she reached the front of the church, she caught Father John's eye and winked at him. Father John fumbled with the Eucharist and started stuttering again. Luckily for him, Joan was in line to receive communion from the deacon, and thus could not feasibly make any moves on him without causing a scene.

Mokuba followed Joan, and the two children followed Mokuba. Janet was old enough to take communion, while Sarah simply crossed her arms for a blessing. The Kaibas and the Taylors took their seats again, and the remainder of the mass passed uneventfully.

**Closing Notes: **As I wrote this, I refined my concept of this world's government. It is not an official government recognized by any country today, but we may be headed towards something like this in the near future. The government consists of an oligarchy of very powerful corporations. This means that Seto has some government power available to him if he ever chooses to wield it. However, as demonstrated in the first chapter of the first fic, Seto hates politics and only participates as necessary. If you want to get a better feel for what I intended with the government, there are two songs by David Rovics that express it very well: "Election" and "The Best Democracy Money Can Buy".

All place names that appear in this fic are merely for geographical and cultural reference, not political reference. Apparently, there is some debate about whether Domino City is in Japan or America. I am putting it in Japan because that is where the wiki says it is. However, location plays a very minor importance in this fic and an even smaller importance in the first fic.

Speaking of the first fic, a lot of this will probably not make sense to you unless you have read it. I am going to spend minimal time on character development with the Noelites, so go back and re-read the first fic if you find yourselves lost. There will be some new characters as well as more from your old favorites. I hope you enjoy it!

I am considering writing a prequel to nail down some of the complicated things that I only vaguely referenced in my first two stories. Now that I am nearing the end of this story in my paper notebooks, I'm starting to think of how much fun it would be to watch the relationship between Seto, Serenity, and Mokuba grow from scratch. I have not written a word of the prequel yet, but I am strongly considering doing it right after I finish this one. If this sounds like something you would find exciting, please send me a PM with suggestions of what you would like to see in it.

**Call for Reviews: **Although this story is almost complete on paper, I would still appreciate reviews for encouragement and tips on how to improve my writing. I have a BS, not a BA, so I am much more accustomed to writing non-fiction than fiction. I'm curious to know if this shows, and what I can do to make my fiction better.

Also, I am running short on names for OCs. Therefore, the first person to review gets to come up with a first name for Tristan's mother. Heck, you can name the whole Taylor family if you like! I only want his mother's name for this story, but I might find his father's name and his uncle's name and maybe his grandfather's name handy for the prequel.


	2. Buildings Don't Fall… Or Do They?

**Author's Note:** Thank You to FantasyWriter93 for coming up with Tristan's mother's name!

**Chapter 2 Buildings Don't Fall… Or Do They?**

After church, everyone filed out onto the lawn to socialize. Rather than staying to shake hands and make small talk with the members of his community as usual, Father John excused himself by saying that he was not feeling well and he did not wish to spread his germs. A folding table laden with coffee and doughnuts provided refreshment to the members of Our Lady of Faith Church. Despite the looming skyscrapers and noises of Domino City, fellowship on the church lawn was a lively and pleasant experience.

Serenity started by chatting with some of the other mothers in the church, They were all pleased that her extremely busy CEO husband had the decency to accompany his wife to church on Christmas Day. Seto Kaiba stood there bored, trying to respond politely to the inane questions that the ladies asked him about his children and his company's products.

Tristan's mother Agatha was a social butterfly as well. She proudly paraded her Ivy-League graduate son and his American wife in front of all the other women her age. Agatha did not want to speak of the recent loss of her husband, and was glad to have another topic of discussion on hand.

At last, Tristan and Serenity had the opportunity to speak. "Tristan, there you are!," Serenity began, "I was beginning to think you had left already."

"Nope, I'm still here," Tristan replied, "So… Um… how is Kaiba Corp. doing? I remember some big T-shirt incident several months ago."

"Oh, that has all blown over now," Serenity said, "Things are going very well now from what I hear. The Christmas sales were excellent. I don't spend much time at Kaiba Corp., though. I'm a nurse."

"Wow! Congratulations. Oh, and speaking of congratulations, you have a beautiful daughter!"

"Which one are you calling beautiful?"

"Yours, I guess." Tristan replied.

Serenity giggled while everyone else stood there awkwardly. Kisara looked at her shoes while Seto tried not to look at Kisara. She was by far the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, yet she was hanging out with a total nerd. Seto wondered why any woman in the world would find Tristan, or Father John for that matter, attractive when they made such atrocious social blunders.

Serenity finally said, "They're both mine, silly!"

"Oh. Sorry," Tristan said, "I guess I was confused because the little one looks so much like Mokuba."

Sarah's eyes widened, and she ducked behind her mother for protection.

"My family has some unique recessive genes. That's all," Seto snapped.

Serenity placed a hand on Seto's arm to soothe him. "Don't worry about it, Tristan. We get that a lot. Seto has simply grown weary of people jumping to conclusions. So, do you have any kids of your own?"

"Sadly, no. Kisara and I have been trying for years, but no luck."

"Have you considered adoption?" Serenity asked, "Our girls want a little brother, and Seto and I were thinking about picking one up from the orphanage instead of rolling the dice again."

"That's a good idea!" Kisara chimed in, "Maybe we should check out the Domino Orphanage while we are here!"

"I want a real grandchild; not some heathen from the street!" Agatha interjected.

Seto let out a low growl, and Serenity spoke quickly to try and ease the tension. "Children from the orphanage can turn out to be just as successful as any other child. In fact, Seto was adopted. Mrs. Taylor, I think you should consider-"

"—Call me Agatha, not Mrs. Taylor. It makes me sound old. Anyway, adoption may be right for your family, but not for mine!"

Tristan looked more frustrated than the Kaibas. "Mom, Kisara and I are adults and we can make our own deci-"

-CRASH!-

Screams resounded through the streets as Serenity and her family turned towards the source of the initial noise. A shockingly odd scene assaulted their vision. One of the city's many skyscrapers had been hit by an airplane, and smoke billowed from the impact site.

"Father, what just happened?" Janet asked.

"I don't know," Seto replied, "But that's the Industrial Illusions building."

A series of deafening explosions followed, and the skyscraper fell smoothly and cleanly from their field of view. It all happened in a matter of seconds, and all that the Kaibas could see was a huge cloud of smoke and dust.

**Closing Note:** Since this is a cliffhanger, I expect you all to review with guesses on where I am going with this! Even though I have already made my plans, let's just pretend that I have not written it yet.


	3. BS

**Author's Note: **I want to extend a big thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far. I did not get many reviews on my last fic, so it is nice to know you are actually there! Just as a reminder, this story takes place in a slightly altered reality in which the world is united under one corrupt government. The prequel is "The Best Democracy Money Can Buy."

**Warnings:** Brief Language

**Chapter 3 BS**

"Everyone to the Church basement now!" the deacon bellowed as he held open the door to a staircase that led downward. The panicked congregation obeyed his orders without hesitation. They flooded into the dim basement and squeezed themselves in among the Easter and Ordinary Time decorations. Since the Christmas decorations were already upstairs in the church, and many members of the congregation had already gone home, there was enough room for everyone.

The deacon set up a radio in the middle of the room and extended the antenna to its fullest height. He turned the dial to a news station, carefully nudging it back and forth until the reception was clear.

Maximillion Pegasus was speaking. "Several months ago, my rival Seto Kaiba was given the opportunity to serve his country and failed. At first, I thought that Kaiba-boy had failed out of negligence. However, I had to learn the hard way that Noel is much more dangerous and powerful than I originally anticipated. Recently, I was approached by the government to perform duties very similar to those which Kaiba was asked to perform."

"Bull Shit!" Joan mumbled.

Pegasus continued, "I accepted the government's offer on the presumption that it would be easy, but I was wrong. Shortly after I began my work, I received threats. Thinking that nothing would come of these threats, I pressed onward. Now today, the day when Noel first announced its existence to the world five years ago, my office building lies in shambles. In addition to five hundred of my employees who chose to work on Christmas Day to help customers with product support, over one hundred innocent travelers lost their lives today. In memory of their sacrifice, I am calling all people who have information about Noel to step forward and share it with the government so we can bring these terrorists to justice!"

"This can't be true," Seto whispered harshly, "We would have known about it."

"You're right," replied Joan, "Something is fishy. I need to go place a phone call."

"Take Mokuba with you. I'll think up a good excuse for you."

Joan nodded and grabbed Mokuba's arm. She wove her way through the crowd of Catholics and climbed out of the basement into the light of day.

"Where is she going?" Wondered Tristan.

"Her family was coming over to our place for dinner," Kaiba replied, "She wants to make sure that they weren't on that plane."

"Let's say a rosary for everyone who was on the plane," Tristan's mother said.

The congregation of Our Lady of Faith took out their rosaries and started to recite their prayers.

…**..**

Up on the surface, Joan and Mokuba stared at the empty space in the skyline where Industrial Illusions once stood.

"Mokuba," Joan began, "I don't know how bad the fallout from this will be, but I want you and Seto to be very careful. If anyone finds out that we have been working together, there's no telling what-"

"There she us! Stop her now! Get that man, too!"

Joan whirled around to see a vaguely familiar face. It was a Noelite supporting member; a friend who occasionally brought cookies to the Noelites and supported their cause, but otherwise had no intimate knowledge of the inner workings of Noel. This one clearly did not have enough faith in the Noelites to give them the benefit of the doubt about the skyscraper.

Joan tried to run, but before she knew it, a mob surrounded her on all sides. The mob grabbed Joan and Mokuba and threw them into the back of a police car. The officers laughed as the mob handcuffed the prisoners, doing their work for them. Before long the car took off down the street with Mokuba and Joan securely sitting in the back seat.

"Where do we take them?" One of the officers asked over the radio.

"Bring them straight to maximum security prison. We aren't taking any chances with them. There's an escort on the way to guide you," came the answer.

"Mokuba," Joan whispered, "Deactivate my hologram now and crush the transmitter. You can't know me right now."

Mokuba nodded and awkwardly reached for a small device located behind Joan's ear. He delicately pushed a button, and Joan disappeared in a shower of sparks. The police looked back to see Mokuba sitting alone.

"Here the hell did she go, kid?" the officer growled.

"I have no idea. She just disappeared. What's going on, officer?"

"Sir, are you aware that your girlfriend is the leader of Noel?"

"She what!" gasped Mokuba.

"Don't play dumb with us, punk!"

As the car rolled out of the city and onto the highway, the guards continued to taunt Mokuba, but Mokuba maintained his innocent story.


	4. Evacuation

**Author's Note:** I apologize for not putting any Yu-Gi-Oh! characters into this particular chapter, but I promise that you will be seeing a lot more of Seto and your other favorites in the later chapters. Speaking of which, I just wrote the outline for the finale duel. I still don't have the finale completely written, but at least the tedious part is over and I can get on with the fun part *happy dance*

**Music Lovers Alert:** If you like to listen to music while you read, I recommend "East Tennessee" by David Rovics. Most of the lyrics have nothing to do with this story, but the chorus is really catchy.

**Chapter 4 Evacuation**

Joan materialized in her own room at Rakitan Industries. She hastily grabbed a few precious belongings and stuffed them in a backpack. Then, she ran out the door to alert the others to what just happened. She bumped into Tam in the hallway and said, "Tell everyone to meet by the truck now. Have them take only what they can carry. I'll take the West wing, you take the East wing. Go!"

Tam nodded and sprinted off to the far end of the complex. She knew from the tone of Joan's voice that this was not a drill. She went door-to-door, clearing the Noelites out of their quarters and waking those who were still sleeping. As the number of alert Noelites grew, Tam found that her job became easier. They roused each other and all Tam had to do was herd them down the hall. Before long, everyone gathered at the Class 8 truck.

Joan mounted a stock of spare tires and spoke to her people. "We have just been betrayed by a supporting member. The details will be made clear to you later, but right now we must abandon this place. Tulip will be your navigator, and he will find a safe place for you. Now go! The authorities may be here any second."

The Noelites started climbing into the trailer in an orderly fashion, but Trevor turned to Joan. "Aren't you coming with us?" he asked.

"Tam and I are going to detonate some explosives to destroy all evidence that we have been working with Kaiba Corp. Now go! We'll be right behind you."

Trevor gave Joan quick kiss before hopping into the trailer. A few of Joan and Tam's lovers made moves to leave the truck in order to do the same, but Joan yelled, "Get yourselves to safety, damn it!"

Penguin slammed the trailer doors shut from the inside and the truck pulled out of the garage.

Tam and Joan dashed to the Action team's practice grounds and grabbed all the explosive material they could find, which was not much. Joan then went to the Information room while Tam went to the Rakitan Industries office. Tam yanked the sword collection off the wall and planted explosives on the place where the security camera was located and on the computer. Luckily, Kaiba had voluntarily removed all the other surveillance cameras he had placed around the Noelite facility nine months ago. Tam ran back to the garage and plopped the ancient swords in the trunk of Noel's hybrid getaway vehicle next to Joan's backpack. Joan joined her a few seconds later.

"Ready?" Tam asked.

"Ready!" responded Joan.

Tam hit the detonator, and the two of them tore away from the building as two sections of it burst into flame. With any luck, the fire would be large enough to destroy everything that the Noelites didn't want the authorities to find.

"Hey Tam, what would happen if an airplane smashed into Rakitan Industries?" Joan wondered.

"That depends on where it hit."

"What if it got Information?"

"You mean before or after we set off the explosives?"

"Before"

Tam thought for a moment. As she did, a squadron of police cars with blaring sirens passed them heading in the opposite direction. Apparently they had left just in time. Then Tam said, "If an airplane hit Rakitan Industries, even in the Information room… It's a good thing we set off those explosives when we did, because a jet-fuel fire like that would have caused too much confusion for us to destroy everything properly. Something might have survived, and the office would have been completely untouched. By the way, why exactly are we on the run?"

"I think we've been framed. Six hundred people died today, and they're pinning the blame on us."

"How?"

"You know, that's the funny thing. I saw it happen with my own eyes, but there's something missing. It just doesn't feel right."

Joan explained what she saw to Tam, and then the two of them drove on in contemplative silence, trying to make sense of what had transpired.

**Closing Note: **I told you that it would be an explosive tale, didn't I? I mean this on multiple levels: physical, emotional, magical, and biological (yes, the gratuitous sex scenes are coming eventually).

**Call For Reviews:** Just for fun, I'd like to see you all guess who is going to duel in the finale. Hint: there will be four people dueling.


	5. Architectural History

**Disclaimer:** Some of the things mentioned in this chapter are factual, not fictional. I do not own history. I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or the Empire State Building or the melting point of steel, etc.

**Author's Note:** Thank you for all your reviews! So far nobody made any correct guesses about who will be dueling in the end, so keep reading and keep guessing! Kisara will not be dueling in this story, but she does have a really awesome role. This will be an intricate story, and if I'm not updating fast enough for you, it is because I am working hard to close the plot holes and give you a coherent story.

**Chapter 5 Architectural History**

"Oh Joey! It's terrible," Rebecca Hawkins sobbed, "Nobody believes me!"

"Relax, hun," Mai soothed, "None of this is your fault."

Rebecca had come over to the Wheeler's place for Christmas since she had no other friends in Japan and her grandfather had passed away years ago. After opening presents, the Wheelers had tuned into a Christmas special on TV. Unfortunately, their regular programming had been interrupted by breaking news. They had seen Industrial Illusions collapse, followed by a speech from Maximillion Pegasus himself. While the Wheelers and their children were overwhelmed and speechless with emotion, Rebecca had noticed something odd about the whole scene. She had ran upstairs to place a call to a news station, but had returned crying. Now, she was being comforted in Mai's arms and consoled by Joey.

"Don't worry, Rebecca!" Joey said, "I know where to find these Noelite creeps."

"You what?" Mai wondered in horror.

"Let's just say that Kaiba wasn't as unsuccessful as Pegasus made him out to be. Why, with just one phone call, I can-"

"Hold on!" said Rebecca, "Something's not right! I wrote a term paper on this when I was an undergraduate. It was for my architectural history class."

"And?" Joey asked.

"Buildings don't fall when airplanes hit them," Rebecca said, "The Empire State Building in New York was hit by a B-25 bomber in 1945, and it sustained a million dollars in damage, but it is still standing today. Joey, the same thing has happened to several buildings throughout history. Not many people know this because it is rather esoteric knowledge, but it's true! Jet fuel fires reach 980°C at most, while it takes at least 1300°C to melt steel. In order to completely demolish a building, you need some really powerful explosives, or rather a series of explosives carefully planted and orchestrated to make it fall so… cleanly! Noel must have had inside access to the Industrial Illusions building. It's the only way!"

Joey looked from Rebecca to Mai and said, "Kaiba has inside access to Noel. We should ask him!"

Mai sent Joey a questioning look while Joey dialed Kaiba's number and handed the phone to Rebecca. Mai and Joey sent their children to their rooms to play with their new Christmas toys while Rebecca waited for Kaiba to pick up the phone. The children had already witnessed enough trauma on television, and their parents did not want to subject them to any more.

….

Seto Kaiba, his wife and his children had been sitting in the church basement for a good hour when his phone vibrated. He looked at the number and was disappointed to see that it belonged to Joey, but at this point he was willing for any excuse to get away from the fervently praying congregation. Seto picked up Sarah with one hand and grabbed Serenity's hand with the other. As he pulled Serenity away from the group, Serenity grabbed Janet's hand with her free hand. The Kaibas snaked their way through the crowd until they were finally free on the church lawn.

"Your brother was calling. You should call him back," Seto told Serenity. Seto set Sarah down and redialed Joey's number from his missed calls list. He handed the phone to Serenity and said, "Make it quick. We should get out of here. I'll find Mokuba and Joan."

Seto barely started his search when Serenity pressed the phone back into his hand. "It's for you."

Seto put the phone to his ear and heard a peppy voice say, "Hi Kaiba! Joey tells me you know how to find the Noelites!"

"Who is this?" Seto demanded.

"It's me, Rebecca Hawkins. Anyway, I've noticed some strange patterns having to do with the bombing of Industrial Illusions. Either everyone is too emotional to get the fact straight yet or someone is controlling the media."

"OK. Meet me at my mansion and we will discuss it there. Wheeler knows the way. Don't say a word of this to anyone else."

Seto hung up the phone and immediately resumed his search for Mokuba, but found him nowhere in sight. Seto went to the parking lot and checked the limo, but Mokuba wasn't there, either. Seto dialed Mokuba's cell-phone number, but got no answer. He then dialed Joan's number and got through to her.

"Is Mokuba with you?" Seto asked as soon as she answered.

"No. The police have him. There was nothing I could do. Look, one of our supporting members is leaking information. You can't know me right now. At least, you can't know that I am a Noelite." Joan's voice shook a little as she spoke.

As much as Seto wanted to lash out at her for letting Mokuba get arrested, he knew there was no point. Besides, it was his choices that landed him in this mess in the first place. There was no turning back now. "Where are you right now?" he asked.

"I'm on the road with Tam. We burned Rakitan Industries so that the government couldn't trace anything back to you."

"What about the others?"

"They took off in another direction, I don't know where. I'm afraid to call them because the government might intercept the call. Speaking of which, I know you have a good scrambler on your phone, but I don't know how long you can maintain it. Since the government now has Mokuba's phone, they might be able to hack into yours directly."

"Good point. I'll re-write the programming on my phone as soon as I can. Until then, maintain cell-phone silence. The government may be tracking your movements right now. Get rid of your phone, go to my underground safe house, and stay there until I come for you. I trust you remember how to find it."

"Umm… I'll manage." Joan had visited the Kaiba safe house only once, but was fairly certain that she could find it again. It was located about a mile south of the Kaiba mansion, and could be reached either by hiking (or running) from the mansion itself or by driving in from the other direction. Joan and Seto had taken a romantic walk there one evening and Seto had set up the computer to recognize Joan as an authorized user of the facility.

"Don't screw up," Seto said sharply before hanging up the phone.

After the line went dead, Joan threw the phone onto the road behind her. Upon impact with the concrete, the battery case popped open battery fell out. Moments later, another car ran over the phone, crushing the fragile plastic beneath its massive tires.


	6. Bridges Don't Fall

**Author's Note:** I thank my boyfriend for helping me come up with part of this chapter. As a man with intimate knowledge of motorized vehicles, his insight is very valuable to me.

This is another chapter about the Noelites, but I promise that Seto will return in chapter 7 and you'll see Kisara in chapter 8!

Thank you again for all the reviews! We had one person guess one of the duelists correctly so far: biskittins. Yes, Seto is the main character in this story, so he will definitely be dueling. However, Joan doesn't even know how to duel. She may be a very talented leader, but she is not skilled in all departments. If she had to choose one, it would be creativity or publicity. Anyway, it will be easier to guess as we get closer to the end, so just keep reading and guessing!

SheRese53: I'm glad you are finding this educational. I have found the writing of it educational for me as well! This is another chapter where I did a little extra research while writing.

**Chapter 6 Bridges Don't Fall**

Meanwhile, Tulip and Salt were headed down the highway. Salt drove while Tulip searched for a good place to stay on his smart phone. He weighed his options carefully, ruling out all hotels and residences of supporting members. He finally decided on a large forest on government land. Despite the fact that the Noelites were at odds with the owners of the land, it was unlikely that the government would think to search an undeveloped area to find them. The Noelites presented a public image of being rich rebels despite their true financial situation, and hopefully the ruins of Rakitan Industries would not dispel that notion.

Since they completed their work for Kaiba Corporation nine months ago and received a large under-the-table payment, the Noelites had made several improvements to their facility. The dining hall had been furnished with more comfortable seating arrangements. The Action team's training supplies were upgraded with a wide variety of fancy gym equipment, practice weapons, and a flight simulator. Even Creativity enjoyed some of the surplus with some new electronic toys that allowed them to share their ideas more freely. Unfortunately, all of these luxuries were short-lived.

"Hey Salt, what's that rattling noise?" asked Tulip, "It's been going on since we started this trip."

"That's nothing. Just the wind foil. I keep forgetting to tell the technology team to tighten it down. Anyway, I wouldn't worry about it."

When they were almost at their destination, Tulip got a phone call from Penguin, who was still in the back of the truck.

"Hey, what's going on out there? Some of us need to pee," she said.

"I thought you didn't have that problem anymore. You gave birth a couple of days ago." Tulip chided.

"Not me, dummy. There are five other people back here who need to go."

"OK, fine," said Tulip, "I'll pull over at the next rest stop."

Tulip hung up and checked his smart phone again. He found a rest stop only five minutes away and told Salt when to expect it. He sighed and waited as the vehicle continued down the road.

When the rest stop came into view, Tulip was shocked by what he saw. The place was swarming with police cars, and a helicopter circled overhead. He suddenly realized how careless he had been. Although it was safe to use cell-phones and other wireless technology when certain scrambling devices at Rakitan Industries were active, all of those devices had been destroyed when Joan and Tam demolished the Information room. Now, the authorities had clearly traced Tulip's smart-phone and intercepted his communications. Thinking fast, Tulip quickly plotted a course on his GPS app that ended in a destination much farther north than he intended to take the Noelites. Hopefully, that would throw the authorities off his trail. He then waited a few moments and threw his phone out the window. He then informed Salt to keep driving right on past the rest station.

Another half-mile down the road, a couple of police cars with blaring sirens came after them. Tulip realized that the authorities must have a lock on Penguin's phone as well. Tulip urged Salt to pick up the pace to buy some more time, and Salt obliged. As the truck went faster, the rattling noise increased.

Although there was plenty of distance between the truck and the police cars, the helicopter from the rest stop was closing in on their position. Within a matter of seconds, the helicopter was practically on top of the truck. As the truck labored up a steep hill, someone in the helicopter announced a warning over the bullhorn, "Pull over now. We have you surrounded. There is nowhere to run!"

"We'll just see about that," said Tulip as the truck reached the crest of the hill. Straight ahead, he saw another steep hill followed by a steel bridge over a river valley and a tunnel through the mountain. The truck picked up momentum as it careened downhill away from the helicopter.

For a moment, it looked as if the Noelites would actually be able to outrun the police. However, reality set in once more as the truck slowed near the top of the next hill and the helicopter once again came up beside them. The helicopter fired a few warning shots at the truck. One of those shots struck the loose bolt on the truck's wind foil and tore it free from the truck. The wind foil careened through the air and struck the helicopter's rotor. Immediately, the blades stopped turning and the aircraft dropped like a rock. Just before it hit the road, its occupants tumbled out and landed safely in the trees beside the road.

Already headed downhill, the truck picked up speed again while the empty helicopter tumbled awkwardly behind it. At the bottom of the hill, the truck rumbled across the bridge and into the tunnel. The helicopter, on the other hand, kept tumbling until it reached the middle of the bridge where friction finally slowed it to a stop. Its radiator had been punctured during its long and torturous tumble, so its engine exploded when it came to its final resting place.

Some of the concrete around the aircraft crumbled from the impact, but the bridge as a whole remained intact. As the police watched the remains of the helicopter burn, they halted in their tracks, uncertain of the structural integrity of the bridge. Given recent events, they didn't want to take any chances.

Inside the tunnel, Salt brought the truck to a stop. He followed Tulip out of the vehicle and opened the trailer doors. "Everybody out now!" Tulip ordered, "And if you have any cell-phones with you, hand them over. We're being tracked." As everyone grabbed their belongings and jumped out of the trailer, Tulip continued, "Here's the plan, folks. We're going to hide out in the forest for a while. Pick a direction and walk as far away from the main road as you can get. Stay under cover of the trees in case any satellites are watching. I'll take all your cell-phones and the truck and get as far away from here as I can."

"Wait," said Penguin, "I'll do it."

"We don't need you playing hero," said Tulip, "You're still recovering from your pregnancy and-"

"What do you take me for? I'll be fine. Now cut the crap. It's my job to protect you, not the other way around."

Tulip sighed. He knew it was pointless to argue with Penguin once she had made up her mind about something. "OK. Here are the phones. Be careful."

Salt, who had been looking at his brother in the dim tail lights of the truck, spoke up, "We're coming, too. We can help through the authorities further off your trail."

"So be it," said Penguin. Penguin jumped into the driver's seat of the truck while Salt and Pepper got in the trailer with a pile of cell-phones. The truck pulled out of the tunnel, followed by the rest of the Noelites, who immediately disappeared into the forest.

**Closing Note: **This chapter is also dedicated to three people in Korea who died in 2001 while using a helicopter to install a sculpture over a bridge on the Han River. I stumbled upon them when I was typing up this chapter and doing some extra research to decide whether I was making this scene too dramatic or not dramatic enough to approximate reality. Apparently their story was overshadowed by all the other turmoil during that year. Although bridges do fall sometimes, you don't exactly see them falling in freefall speed unless someone intentionally decided to demolish them. The concrete goes first, usually after prolonged stress from a high-intensity earthquake or storm. The concrete also bends and cracks a lot, often giving people fair warning that they need to clear the area.


	7. Christmas Dinner

**Author's Note: **Thanks again for all the reviews. Biskittins got another one right! Yugi will be dueling in the finale even though I have not brought him into the story yet. That leaves two more people to guess. Come on! Don't be shy!

**Chapter 7 Christmas Dinner**

Seto Kaiba and his family arrived home to the delightful smells of Christmas Dinner. Amanda, their cook, greeted them cheerfully at the door. She had been cooking all day and enjoying the company of her family, who had been invited to partake in the festivities in the Kaiba's second luxurious dining room. Therefore, Amanda was clueless about what had happened that morning.

"So, where is the little prince?" Amanda asked.

"Oh no!" Serenity gasped, "We completely forgot that we were supposed to go to the orphanage this afternoon!"

"Relax, we'll get him tomorrow," Seto said, "I gave the orphanage a substantial donation requesting that they hold all incoming infants for ten days until further notice. We can get him tomorrow."

"Yes, but how are we supposed to know which one to get without…" Serenity stopped herself short of saying Joan's pseudonym out loud. Joan was supposed to help Seto and Serenity identify Sean's clone at the orphanage, but obviously that plan was no longer practical.

"We'll take all of them home, run DNA tests, and then decide which one to keep," Seto said.

"Oh." Serenity responded simply.

They stood in silence for a moment, and then the doorbell rang. Janet opened the door and exclaimed, "Uncle Joey! We didn't know you were coming!"

"Yeah, I'm here with Rebecca," Joey said, "We came as fast as we could. Hey, where's Mokuba and Kari?"

"Kari should be here tonight. Mokuba… may take a little longer," Seto said distantly.

"What's wrong?" Amanda asked.

"Look on the news and you'll find out," Seto replied, "I don't want to waste my time explaining it."

"Wait," said Rebecca, "The news has it all wrong. Let me explain it, By the way, you'll probably want to hear this sitting down."

"OK," said Amanda, "Why don't you all come in and we'll talk about it over dinner? It might get cold otherwise."

Serenity looked worried, but kept a cool head about the matter. "Amanda, why don't you and your family—the older ones—join Seto, Joey, and Rebecca in the main dining room? I'll watch the little ones in the second dining room." She grabbed Sarah and Janet's hands and led them away.

"Aw mom," Janet whined, "Why can't I stay with Father?"

"Because there are strange things happening and the grown-ups need to have a discussion," Serenity explained.

"Don't leave us, Seto!" Sarah cried as Serenity pulled the children through a door and out of sight.

"Did she just call you by your first name?" wondered Rebecca.

Joey opened his mouth, but Seto beat him to the punch. "Don't ask. She's a precocious little girl. It's probably just a phase."

"All right," said Rebecca, "Let's get settled. I have a lot to tell you."

Joey, Seto, Amanda, and Rebecca headed to the main dining room where their meal was already waiting. They were joined by the rest of Amanda's family, who sat down solemnly. They had been warned by Serenity to do disclose too much about their relationships with each other, and introduced themselves by their first names only. Luckily, Rebecca wasn't too keen on making small talk. She immediately launched into a detailed description of the day's events.

While Rebecca talked, Seto thought about Mokuba. Mokuba had been kidnapped many times, but never flat-out arrested. However, it amounted to the same old problem. Mokuba was being held captive and Seto needed to save him. Seto contemplated challenging the jail guard to a duel, but somehow he didn't think that would be enough to set his brother free. Seto sighed and tuned back into Rebecca's monologue.

Rebecca recited her entire Architectural History term paper from memory. Then, she described in detail how the Industrial Illusions building was constructed and compared its architecture with that of the Empire State building. Industrial Illusions was newer, and Pegasus had taken advantage of the best construction materials available. Rebecca stressed several times that is was unthinkable for a single airplane to demolish the structure. "And so," she concluded, "There must have been a series of carefully-placed explosives in the Industrial Illusions building. I want to find out how they got there and set the media straight."

"Good luck with that," said Seto, "Noel isn't responsible, and they currently have no means of finding out who did it."

"How do you know?" asked Rebecca.

"Noel headquarters has been destroyed. It's probably on the news by now. You all can go watch it. I'm going to make a few phone calls. Those government bastards have Mokuba, and I'm not going to sit around waiting anymore." Seto stood abruptly and left the room, leaving everyone else stunned.


	8. Domino Orphanage

**Author's Note: **Thank You for reviewing, everyone! Thanks for guessing Fire Ice and snowcones, but unfortunately Serenity and Joey will not be dueling in the finale. This chapter doesn't provide any hints, so you might want to guess again later. Keep reviewing!

**Music Lover's Alert:** For this chapter, I recommend "Just Beyond the Manger" by Joseph M. Martin. If you are having trouble finding it, there are a few reasonably good versions of it on You Tube, and I have added them to my favorites on my K5Rakitan You Tube account along with some other songs that I find inspirational for the purposes of writing my fan fiction. From now on, I am going to build up a library of songs on You Tube so you can find the ones that go along with my stories more quickly. Some of the songs on there are for chapters that have already been written, while some are for future inspiration.

**Chapter 8 Domino Orphanage**

"Mother, I just feel that this is the right thing to do," Tristan insisted as he parked the car in front of the Domino Orphanage.

Tristan, Kisara, and his mother had finally worked up the courage to leave the safety of the church basement. Instead of going home, Tristan had taken his family directly to the orphanage.

"Shouldn't you give it some more time?" Agatha pleaded, "It's just that you're rushing into this. Why don't you and Kisara try fertility therapy first?"

"Mom, stop it. Kisara and I have already made up our minds."

"Tristan, is there something you're not telling me? Are you incapable of having children? Did you get a vasectomy? Why do you always insist on making sudden, rash choices?" Agatha asked.

Tristan yelled in frustration at his mother's prying and let his wife answer. "No, Agatha. Tristan did not get a vasectomy. However, we still feel that this is the right thing to do, and this isn't a rash decision. We simply feel that we are being guided by fate."

While Tristan's mother continued to fret, Kisara and Tristan exchanged glances. They both knew what really drove them here, yet neither wanted to say it aloud. They had told Tristan's mother that the morning's incident awakened them to a greater appreciation of life, and they wanted to thank God by adopting one of His children. This was all bullshit, though. The real reason they wanted to adopt a child was so that they would have a good excuse to visit the Kaibas again. Either that, or taking care of a child would bring them closer together so they could forget about the Kaibas. Tristan and Kisara were both driven mad with longing for a deeper kind of love, yet neither one of them could admit it out loud.

The Taylor family was greeted at the door by a plump matron with a cheerful smile. "Have you come to drop off Christmas gifts for the children?" she asked.

"No," said Tristan, "We would like to meet some children and adopt one."

The matron's face lit up. "Excellent. Is this your first visit to an orphanage?"

"Yeah," said Tristan, "It was kind-of a last-minute decision."

"What made you decide to come here?"

"An old friend of mine, Seto Kaiba, was adopted here. We were talking with him this morning and-"

"Say no more!" said the matron, "Come right this way." She led the Taylors through a maze of hallways lined with broken toys and crayon drawings on the walls. "Please excuse the mess. We have not had time to take full advantage of Mr. Kaiba's donation yet."

"Kaiba made a donation? How nice of him," Kisara marveled. Tristan shot her a brief glance and she realized how foolish she must have sounded. She worried that Tristan could see right through her pleasant façade and read her mind.

The Taylors arrived in an absolutely sparkling clean nursery. Beautiful new wooden cribs with fresh blankets filled the room.

"Umm… wow!" said Tristan, "We were actually thinking of adopting someone a little older."

The matron of the orphanage looked offended. "Nonsense. Infants are the way to go. Don't you know that if they stay in the orphanage too long, their IQ drops drastically?"

"Kaiba turned out fine. Well, sort-of," Tristan admitted thinking of Seto's deficient emotional IQ, especially during his teenage years.

"Mr. Kaiba wasn't here that long, and I believe the reason he made such a generous donation to us was to ensure that you two got a child who still had a chance at a normal life. You see, infants are in high demand and we have a waiting list a mile long for them. You are fortunate to have a friend such as Mr. Kaiba, who bumped you to the head of the queue and gave you the ability to choose among so many," The matron insisted. What she failed to mention was that Kaiba had originally called to reserve the infants several days ago, but otherwise had been very vague about further instructions.

Kisara wondered how Kaiba could have known that they were coming. Since she knew almost nothing about him, she imagined that he had some sort of telepathic power and could sense her thoughts. Kisara kept this conclusion to herself, though. She knew it would upset Tristan.

Tristan looked over the infants in the room. "OK," he said at last, "Let's at least choose one with hair."

Kisara and Tristan browsed through the babies until Kisara suddenly exclaimed, "Hey! Come look at this cute little fellow. He has such a lovely head of red hair."

Tristan and his mother peered into the crib to see an adorable little baby boy. "Oh!" Agatha crooned, "How could anyone abandon such a healthy and handsome young man? What is his name?"

"The note that was left with him said that his name was Patrick, but he has no birth certificate yet, so you can name him whatever you like," The matron offered.

"Patrick is a good, Catholic name," Agatha said, "We'll keep it."

Tristan and Kisara looked at each other and shrugged.

"OK!" said Tristan, "Let's get the paperwork started."

Kisara picked up the infant and followed the others into the orphanage's office. Once inside the office, the matron became very professional. She asked for identification from Tristan and Kisara, and ran their numbers through her computer. When everything came back clean, she printed out several forms for them to sign. Once signed, the forms were scanned back into the computer and uploaded to the government database.

"It looks like everything is in order," the matron said at last, "Patrick Taylor's birth certificate and government identification card should arrive by mail in about four to six weeks. Here is a temporary identification card just in case. I recommend taking him to a doctor to check for genetic diseases, allergies, and things like that. You might even get some leads on his biological parents if you are interested. Oh, and don't forget to thank Kaiba!"

"We won't," said Tristan, "We're planning to pay him a visit soon."

"By the way, here is the note that arrived with Patrick. We found it very unusual. Perhaps the mother was insane." The matron handed Tristan a piece of paper. It read:

Dear M,

Here lies Sir Patrick, risen from the grave. If you want me badly enough, this name you will save.

Love,

P

Tristan stared at the paper for a while and tried to make sense of it. He eventually gave up, folded the paper, and stuffed it in his pocket. The Taylors gathered up their things and went home with their new son.


	9. Connections

**Author's Note:** We have another correct guess from biskittins just in time for this chapter where Bakura is mentioned. Also, an anonymous reviewer has made the final correct guess with Pegasus. I apologize if anyone thinks of this guessing game as a spoiler, but I assure you that the identities of the final duel contestants are definitely not the biggest surprise in this story.

**Warnings: **Brief language, Brief disturbing image

**Chapter 9 Connections**

Seto Kaiba went to his home office, turned on his laptop, and searched for the phone number of the Domino Police department. He had originally planned to leave his computer off all day, but these were special circumstances. He found the non-emergency phone number quickly and dialed it, waiting apprehensively for someone to pick up the line.

"Domino Police Department. How may I help you?" said a female voice.

"This is Kaiba. Put me through to Mokuba immediately."

"I'm sorry sir, but he is not here. He was taken directly to maximum security prison."

"What!"

"Maximum security prison, sir."

"You get my brother out of there immediately or I'll make sure that you never set foot in your office again. Is that clear?"

"Sir, this is entirely out of my hands."

Kaiba hung up the phone in frustration without giving the woman the courtesy of a good-bye. Then, he did a quick internet search and dialed the number of nearest maximum security prison.

The warden answered in a gruff voice. "Detention Center 31. What do you want?"

"I want you to release Mokuba Kaiba immediately."

"Who is this?"

"Who do you think it is?"

"You'll have to tell me your name."

"Kaiba. Seto Kaiba of Kaiba Corporation."

The warden laughed. "Mr. Kaiba, do you realize the seriousness of the charges against your brother? He is being accused of aiding a terrorist organization. You'll be lucky to get him out in twenty years. He's not going anywhere right now."

"Mokuba is innocent and you know it. You're just using him as a scapegoat because you weren't able to catch the real perpetrators."

"Whoa there! That's the government's prerogative. Seriously, though. At this point, the only thing that can get your brother out of jail is a pardon from the Oligarchy."

Kaiba hung up the phone again. It looked like freeing his brother would take more time than he originally thought, and he didn't want to waste any of it talking to people who couldn't help him. Kaiba thought for a while about all powerful politician-businessmen he had met during various social mixers and parties, wishing that he had been more polite to at least a few of them.

The first person who came to mind was Bakura. He was the CEO of Global Enterprises, and he held the most powerful seat in the oligarchy. However, he was also a spoiled brat who had inherited his wealth from his biological uncle, who did not have a son of his own who wanted to carry on the family legacy. Once the boy got a taste for power, he had immediately transformed into a power-hungry maniac. Kaiba hated to admit it, but he liked Bakura better back when he was simply a member of the geek squad. Now, the CEOs were mortal enemies. Kaiba knew that if he asked Bakura for Mokuba's release, he would simply be sealing his brother's fate.

Kaiba racked his brain for the name of another CEO with enough influence to free Mokuba. Finally, he chose one person who might be willing to help him. He dialed the number, but only got through to the answering machine.

Taking a deep breath, he left a message. "Brown, It's Kaiba. Your niece is my secretary. I want you to pull some strings for me. It's for my brother. If you can't get him out of prison immediately, at least see to his safety. I don't want some asshole trying to… you know." Seto tried to say more, but the words would not come out. He was too busy trying to shake images of Mokuba being ass-raped by another prisoner out of his mind. The machine cut him off, and Seto held the phone in his hand for a long time.

Serenity knocked softly at the door to his office. Hearing nothing but deadly silence, she opened the door slowly. She saw Seto sitting frozen in his chair and walked up to him. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders from behind and squeezed him lovingly. After several minutes of being thawed by the warmth of her body, he came back to life.

"Let's go for a walk," Seto said, "Joan is probably here by now. If she can't save Mokuba, I don't know who can. Are the girls safe?"

Serenity nodded. "They're with Joey."

"Good. Get your coat." He took Serenity's hand and led her out of the mansion into the cold winter air.

**Call For Reviews:** I would like to play another guessing game with you because this last one was a lot of fun. This time, I'm going to give you a choice. It can either be something related to the story or something about my life that is completely unrelated to the story. Please let me know which guessing topic you would prefer by reviewing!


	10. Rice

**Author's Note:** I was going through some of my old papers the other day and realized that I have written this story once before with no Yu-Gi-Oh! characters and a much less complicated plot approximately five years ago when I was in high school. It sucked so bad that I could not bear to read the whole thing! So for all of you developing writers out there, you have hope! This is another Noelite-only chapter, but you'll see their paths cross with the Kaibas soon.

**Chapter 10 Rice**

Penguin drove the truck as hard and fast as she could. Although Noel's technology team had neglected to secure the wind foil, they always serviced the engine. Now that the trailer was almost empty, the truck's powerful engine easily carried it uphill at 150kph. When going downhill, it accelerated to over 270kph. Penguin knew the dangers of driving a truck at this speed, but she didn't have much choice. She had to get to the next town before the police caught up with her again.

Just as she passed the township sign, a squadron of fighter jets flew low over the truck. They fired several shots at the truck, but most of them missed. One shot, however, pierced the trailer, leaving a gaping hole in the top and bottom. The shot missed Pepper by a hair, but nothing could have been more convenient for the Noelites.

Penguin dropped her speed slightly and headed straight for a warehouse on the outskirts of town, and smashed the truck through its thin particle-board doors. The doors splintered on impact, sending shrapnel flying everywhere. Penguin slammed on the brakes, then threw the vehicle in reverse. "OK Guys! Get out now!" She yelled at the top of her lungs.

As the truck backed up, Salt and Pepper dropped to the ground through the hold in the trailer. They flattened themselves against the ground as the truck pulled away from them, and watched as Penguin left the building.

Penguin ramped up her speed again and smashed into another warehouse. This time, she drove all the way through. The aircraft followed, shooting rapidly. Penguin smiled and thought _If I'm going down, I might as well do as much damage as possible._ Penguin rammed into yet another warehouse, but this time she was stopped by its contents. The building was filled with a huge pile of rice waiting to be weighed and bagged. Upon impact, the tiny grains spilled over the truck. The sheer volume of rice slowed the truck to a stop, and Penguin knew that there was no point in trying to make another escape. She waited while the authorities surrounded the truck and dug it out of the rice.

When the police finally had her in their grasp, Penguin went in without putting up a physical fight. However, her words cut sharply at the officers who cuffed her and threw her in the back seat of their car.

"Do you pigs have any idea what's really going on here? You know that Noelites never kill human beings. Someone in your government has obviously framed us," Penguin said defiantly.

"We're not interested in your games," One officer replied. The other officer remained silent.

"Seriously, though. What exactly happened? I only heard the short story, and then suddenly you were after us." Penguin persisted.

"We're the ones asking the questions, bitch! Where are the others?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"You might change your mind after you see what we have in store for you at the prison."

…..

Meanwhile, Salt and Pepper snuck out of the warehouse and into the downtown area. By skillfully watching each other's backs and communicating silently, they were able to avoid detection by the authorities who were swarming the area. Although they were laden with active cell-phones, none of them were being monitored by the satellites because the authorities did not yet know the identities of all the Noelites.

Once Salt and Pepper were safely downtown, they found their job much easier. They staked out tourist cars one-by-one and made their move. Salt checked to see if the coast was clear while Pepper quickly duct-taped a cell-phone underneath a car and dialed Penguin's number. Salt and Pepper repeated this trick on vehicles with non-local license plates until all the phones were gone. Hopefully, the phones would travel far and wide before the authorities tracked them all down. By then, the rest of the Noelites should be deep in the forest; impossible to locate for anyone who did not know where to look.

As for Salt and Pepper themselves, nobody was better equipped to survive in a dangerous world than they were. With their almost telepathic power of communication, they made the perfect team. They could easily take what they needed from markets without being detected, sneak into an empty house to get a good night's sleep, and even borrow a vehicle if the need arose. Now all they had to do was wait and decide on their next move.

**Closing Note:** My boyfriend (the one with mechanical knowledge) assured me that a truck's engine would not explode if it smashed into a big pile of rice unless the radiator was punctured and all to coolant leaked out. It would be similar to smashing into a big pile of sand, which is exactly what they use in real life to stop runaway trucks going downhill when their breaks fail.

**Call For Reviews:** I've been thinking all day about what I want you to guess, and I had a few votes for both, so this is going to be somewhat of a hybrid game. Although I am not explicit in the makes of of the cars that appear in this story, I would like you to guess which automobile makes my boyfriend services and which one he actually drives. You get five points for guessing the one he actually drives and two points for each one that he services. There are six total, and this time you only get one shot at guessing… unless nobody gets any of them right the first time or there is a tie. So, choose six and the person who gets the most points gets to name one of my minor characters who appears later in the story!


	11. Night of Silence

**Author's Note:** My computer is down, so I'm uploading this from a university computer. I may also be updating a little less frequently than before due to the fact that summer is over and I seriously need to start job hunting or go get an internship. However, I promise you that the rest of this will come out in due time. Reviews always help to encourage me, so keep writing them!

**Music Lover's Alert:** For this chapter (especially the end portion) I recommend "Night of Silence" by Daniel Kantor. This song is different from "Silent Night," which was originally written by Joseph Mohr and Franz Xaver Gruber. The two songs harmonize with each other, and once you hear "Night of Silence," "Silent Night" will always sound naked and bland to you without the other song. I decided to put some lyrics in the text. Those lyrics belong to Daniel Kantor. I reversed the order of the verses to fit the story.

**Chapter 11 Night of Silence**

Joan and Tam found Kaiba's safe house without too much trouble. Joan submitted to a retinal scan and fingerprint check while Tam surveyed their surroundings for any potential threats. There was originally no obvious place to park the car, but that changed when a garage mechanically ascended from the recesses of the house's basement. In fact, a whole separate living space with stockpiles of food revealed itself to them.

Tam parked the car, and was about to close down the secret entrance when a voice in the distance cried, "Joan, Tam! Wait a minute!"

Joan and Tam looked to see two figures walking towards them. Joan quickly recognized them by their gaits and ran to greet them. Seto released his wife's hand and ran to greet Joan. When he reached her, he picked her up and twirled her around in the air. When her feet touched the ground again, he smothered her lips with a powerful kiss that made her head spin more than the twirling. When he finally released her, she asked, "What was that for?"

"That was for making it home safely," Seto said. Then, he slapped her cheek. It wasn't hard enough to leave a bruise, but it still stung like mad. Before Joan could ask, Seto said, "That was for not bringing Mokuba with you."

"Ouch! That really wasn't up to me."

"Now it is. If Mokuba doesn't come home safely, you and I are through. If I had never met you, Mokuba would still be here."

Joan was deeply saddened by his harsh words, but knew him well enough to understand that he valued the well-being of his brother over that of every other person in the world. Without argument, Joan surrendered. "OK. Let's get to work."

The four of them went into the basement of the safe house, where Seto monopolized the computer. He printed out some schematics and blueprints of Detention Center 31 for Joan and Tam to analyze, then set about re-writing his cell-phone scrambling software. Tam, Serenity, and Joan poured over the papers before them trying to decide on the best way to infiltrate the building. However, there was no consensus on the best route to take, especially with all the uncertainties that faced them. They had no idea which cell Mokuba was in, and no clue how much manpower would be available to them for the extraction operation. With the other Noelites missing and Joan ill-prepared for what was clearly a job for the Action team, Tam might have to go in on her own.

Just moments after Seto finished updating his scrambling software, Joey called Seto's number. "Hey Kaiba! Where are you? We've been looking all over for you! It's getting late and some of your guests want to go home."

"Tell them that they don't need my permission to leave. I'll be back in twenty minutes if anyone needs help tying their shoes."

"Well, well. Aren't we the model host?"

"Save it, Wheeler. I'm sure you've heard about Mokuba on the news by now. My first priority is to save him, not entertain you and everyone else who decided that today would be a good day to have dinner at my mansion."

"Yeah, whatever. You cool off and do what you need to do."

"Goodbye, Wheeler." Kaiba hung up the phone.

"What's the plan?" Asked Joan.

"You and Serenity are coming back to the mansion with me. There's someone who wants to talk to you. The Taminator will stay here and continue working on an escape plan for Mokuba," Kaiba replied.

"I think I should work on finding the other Noelites first," said Tam, "It will be much easier to mount a rescue attempt with them than without them."

"Whatever. Just as long as you're working towards that general goal, I don't care how you do it." Before he left, Kaiba gave Tam a quick tour of all the equipment that was available to her. Although she was no technical expert, the automated hacking programs would enable her to retrieve data from almost every government satellite and police radio station.

"Why do you have all this stuff?" Tam asked.

"Ever since I took over Kaiba Corporation, there has been at least one murder attempt on me and/or kidnapping attempt on Mokuba every year. Most of the time I can nip it in the bud just by using this equipment. The worst time was when Maximillion Pegasus's goons came after me, but that's a long story. I was less experienced back then."

_Spirit among us, Shine like the star,_

_Your light that guides shepherds and kings from afar,_

_Shimmer in the sky so empty, lonely,_

_Rising in the warmth of your Son's love,_

_Star unknowing of night and day,_

_Spirit we wait for your loving Son._

Tam said her good-byes to Joan and the Kaibas watched as they trudged away through the cold winter night, By the time they got back to the mansion, they were all too tired to do anything but sleep, or in Seto's case try to sleep. Joey greeted them and informed them that Amanda's family had already gone home and that he had put Janet and Sarah to bed. Rebecca had crashed on one of the couches while waiting for Joan, so Joan slept on an adjacent couch in order to meet Rebecca at first light. It was better this way because Joan felt uncomfortable sleeping with Seto in his dark mood and she did not want to exile herself to a guest room. If Seto remained unapproachable tomorrow, Joan resolved to stay in the safe house with Tam.

_Voice in the distance, call in the night, _

_On wind you enfold us you speak of the light, _

_Gentle on the ear you whisper softly, _

_Rumors of a dawn so embracing, _

_Breathless love awaits darkened souls, _

_Soon will we know of the morning._

Meanwhile, Penguin and Mokuba were each thrown into high-security isolation chambers. It was a relief from being in handcuffs and chains, but the concrete cells were barren of any comforts. At least the cells were heated by the prison's ventilation system.

_Cold are the people, Winter of life, _

_We tremble in shadows this cold endless night, _

_Frozen in the snow lie roses sleeping, _

_Flowers that will echo the sunrise,_

_Fire of hope is our only warmth,_

_Weary, its flame will be dying soon._

The other Noelites were not lucky enough to have heat. They opted not to light a fire in case it was picked up by a satellite. As they huddled together in the darkness for warmth with only a few blankets to share and empty stomachs, the cold Christmas night seemed to stretch on forever.

**Call For Reviews:** I guess I threw a lot of people off when I said "hybrid." I meant that the game would be a hybrid between something from my personal life and something that inspired me while writing this story. Anyway, there are six total vehicles makes out there, and none of them are Japanese. So, go ahead and guess six at a time. It is OK if some of your guesses are the same as another person's.


	12. Treason

**Author's Note:** It is still December 25 in Egypt! However, this is the last chapter that takes place on December 25. Congratulations to Biskittins for winning the guessing game with Mercedes and Volkswagon! Talk to me about naming my minor OC so that you know what her personality is like. There are still four more makes that have not been guessed, including the one that my boyfriend actually drives. I have another minor character that needs a name, so keep on guessing!

SammieBarone: Thank you very much for your suggestions! I will definitely keep them in mind, especially while I am writing my prequel. This story is done in the paper notebook, but I will still be editing a few things as I go along.

**Music Lover's Alert: **Writing this chapter made me think of "Saint Patrick's Battalion" by David Rovics, so if you are in to mood, go check it out!

**Chapter 12 Treason**

Ishizu awoke on a cold sweat, gripping Yugi's petite body tightly. Her long black hair was plastered against her head. Her breath came in loud gasps, giving her husband no choice but to wake as well.

"What is it? Did you have another vision?" Yugi asked in alarm.

"We need to fly back to Japan immediately! People need our help!" Ishizu said urgently.

"Slow down. I only got…" Yugi turned on a small lamp and checked the clock on his nightstand, "…half an hour of sleep? Ishizu, what is going on now that could possibly be so important? Who needs our help?"

Ishizu focused her mind to find a familiar face. She saw his cold blue eyes and his usually stern expression twisted into a cry of despair over the fate of his brother. She saw a woman with bleached blonde hair that had appeared so many times on the news languishing in prison. She also saw several other people she did not recognize, but something in the ether told her what their relationships with each other were. "Seto Kaiba… and his girlfriend… and her boyfriend… and Mokuba… and his… Penguin."

"You're making no sense at all. Is Kaiba's marriage in jeopardy? Did you mean Penguin from Noel? Does this have something to do with the vampire agents?" Cut off from news in the middle of the desert, the most recent information about Noel that Yugi had learned was nine months ago when Penguin announced the demise of the government's vampire Agent Timothy Saunders.

"Something, yes, but it is not that simple. The government has stepped up their game a notch. They have already killed hundreds of innocent people and blamed it on Noel, and they may kill many more if the world does not stop them! My powers will tell me more as we get closer to Japan, but I know now that it will be a treacherous journey, and we must be careful who we tell about our plans."

Yugi gasped. "That's horrible! Are you saying that we need to commit treason to save people's lives?"

"I'm afraid that is the only option is we are going to prevent this impending slaughter." Ishizu stood up and dug under the bed for her travel bag. Then, she went around the room methodically picking up various items and stuffing them into her bag. Despite the fact that only one fifteen-watt incandescent light bulb lit the room, she had no trouble finding everything she needed.

Yugi's purple eyes glowed with concern in the dim light of the lamp. "Um… do you want me to come with you?"

"If you wish, yes. I have not seen you in my vision, so I do not yet know if your presence will be required or not."

Yugi sat and watched his wife pack for a few seconds. He really did not want to get caught-up in another battle to save the world, but he knew that he would feel guilty if he did not help Ishizu and something went wrong. Yugi groaned tiredly and rolled out of bed. He searched for his own bag under his side of the bed. When he found it, he threw a few comfortable clothes into it hastily.

Ishizu and Yugi were both packed in a matter of five minutes. They jumped into their desert rover and took off in the direction of the nearest airport. Along the way, they bickered.

"Ishizu, this isn't the usual way we take to town. You're usually much better with direction. What's wrong with you?"

"Someone has a small plane over there that will take us to the airport much faster," she said.

"What makes you think he will actually let us use the plane?"

"I brought some valuable artifacts along."

"You can't be serious! Which ones did you bring? Some of those are priceless. We can't just give them away like that!"

"I only need to give him one of our artifacts to seal the deal. The rest will be needed to bribe two of the people on board the flight to Japan to give up their seats."

"What? Have you completely lost it? Those were supposed to be for our retirement!"

"Darling, we may not even have a safe world in which to retire if we do not do this."

Yugi sighed. "I hope you're right. Actually, I hope you're wrong and there really is no impending disaster. I just don't see why we're the ones who always have to step in to save the world."

"I never asked you to come."

"Yes, but I know you. You knew I had to come along, and you knew that I would come along, so you didn't ask me to come because you wanted me to think that I had free will over the matter. Sometimes it would be easier if you just told me what to do."

"In that case, darling, calm down and get some sleep on the plane. Speaking of which, we are here."

The headlights of their desert rover illuminated a small airplane with a little tent nearby. Ishizu left Yugi in the vehicle with the engine still running and went to tent to wake the pilot. Yugi closed his eyes and started to meditate himself into a more relaxed state of mind so he could get to sleep faster when the opportunity arose.

**Closing Note:** My laptop is still down, but the situation looks hopeful. I have a good friend working to fix it, so yeah. Even though I graduated, my login for the university computers is still active. I feel a little funny going onto campus and taking up space like this for non-academic purposes. Luckily there are not too many people here right now… Anyway, please review!


	13. Thursday, December 26

**Warnings:** graphic imagery, mild language

**Author's Note:** My computer is still down, so right now I am on my boyfriend's computer. I am using a much older version of word, so if there are any weird symbols or anything pops up, I apologize in advance and I will fix it as soon as I get back to my regular computer. Just let me know if the formatting is wonky or not. I also miss my custom dictionary….

Penguin: "Shut up and be grateful, bitch!"

Me: "All right already!"

Originally, this was two separate chapters, but I decided to post both at once because they were pretty short.

Biskittins got another one right with BMW. However, there are still three more to guess, and so far nobody has guessed the type of car that my boyfriend actually drives.

**Chapter 13 She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not**

Penguin was rudely awakened by her jailer and dragged into an interrogation room. She was then strapped into a polygraph device and bombarded with threats of what would happen to her should she choose not to comply. Despite her unwelcoming surroundings, Penguin was remarkably tranquil. Perhaps it was because Penguin had prepared herself for this situation by training herself to fool polygraphs, or perhaps it was because she had willingly chosen to be captured to protect the only friends in the world she had. Perhaps it was a combination of both.

A neatly dressed male interrogator with immaculately combed short black hair towered over the blonde. The first question was one that Penguin expected: "Where are the other Noelites?"

"You tell me. You're the one with access to the satellites," Penguin answered casually.

"Let's try this again. We have a friend of yours here who doesn't seem to know anything, either. Maybe if you two put your heads together, you can remember."

A second interrogator dragged a man of about thirty with long, shaggy black hair into the room and bound him to a chair. Mokuba squirmed and yelled as the officer handled him roughly. Although Mokuba had powerful muscles and could have resisted most cops, the one who had been put in charge of him was over twice his size. As Penguin witnessed the indignation, her polygraph twitched slightly.

"Ah ha!" the first interrogator said, "So he does mean something to you after all."

"No," said Penguin, "I just don't like the whining. He's a spoiled brat. My friend may have taken a liking to him, but he means nothing to me."

The burly interrogator ripped off Mokuba's shirt and secured clamps to his nipples. He flipped a switch and Mokuba screamed in pain as an electric current jolted through his body. Penguin just laughed. She looked like a sorority girl who had just taken revenge on a rival house with her disheveled hair.

The larger interrogator stood mutely and maintained an intimidating stance while the other asked, "What's so funny?"

"The corporate oligarchs are turning on each other, You can't track down the people you want, so you burn up all your extra testosterone by beating up each other!" Penguin howled.

The smaller interrogator motioned for the other to stop the torture. He pulled up a chair in front of Mokuba and looked into his eyes. "If she won't save you, maybe you can save yourself. Let's start with Kari Rakitan. What can you tell me about her?"

"She… wasn't who I thought she was," said Mokuba slowly and painfully.

"Who did you think she was?"

"She was the CEO of Rakitan Industries. They made educational materials for children."

"How long have you known Rakitan?"

"Almost a year, I think."

"How did you meet Rakitan?"

"My brother introduced me to her."

"How did he meet Rakitan?"

"Um… I don't remember."

"Oh please!" Penguin interjected, "Kari showed up at one of your rich-ass corporate/political parties after we found out that Kaiba tried to hack into our computer systems. She then used her charm on him to gain access to his family. Her mistake was sticking around after we finished our job. I tried to tell her that making personal connections with our enemies was a bad idea, but did she listen? No!"

Mokuba looked at Penguin with tears glistening in his eyes. "So did she… really love me?"

Penguin knew that Mokuba's question had a hidden meaning. What he really wanted to know was whether Penguin had any feelings for him. Penguin's polygraph twitched again, but luckily the interrogator did not notice. "Duh, bone-head! Why do you think she let you off so easily? Notice how you didn't catch Ebola like your brother and sister-in-law?"

Mokuba knew what Penguin was doing. She was setting up the story to make him appear innocent so he could go home. Mokuba wanted to thank her, but he didn't know how to do it without ruining her plan. Instead, he just cried like a baby while Penguin jeered at him.

"OK kid," the interrogator said at last, "If we let you go home, will you call us if you get any more information on Rakitan?"

Mokuba nodded. The interrogators untied him and escorted him out of the room.

**Chapter 13.5 Vole Feast**

Fifty famished Noelites sat around a daytime campfire fashioning hunting tools. The Action team was out searching for game and getting a feel for the land while they waited for the tools to be completed. They had a few knives between them and some crude spears just in case they found a good opportunity to catch dinner.

Tulip addressed the Creativity, Information, Technology, and Publicity teams solemnly. His long, light brown hair was pulled into a ponytail to keep it out of his face, and his glasses sat askew on his nose. "We still do not know the full extent of the danger facing us. Before we lost all contact with the outside world, I was able to determine that we have been framed for murdering six hundred people. Thus, until someone we trust comes to lead us out of the woods, we are no longer Noelites. For now, we are all botanists from Tokyo University. Pretty Pictures, Jamie, and I are your professors. The rest of you are PhD candidates. If anyone comes marching through our camp, pretend to be studying a nearby plant.

"I know that some of you have brought diaries with you. I want you to burn all the personal pages in them and fill the rest of your books with sketches of plants. They are no longer your diaries; they are field notebooks. It may be harsh, but right now it is a necessary precaution. Any questions?"

Trevor raised his hand. "How are we supposed to label our drawing when we have no idea what these plants are?"

"That's easy," said Tulip, "I studied botany in college. I even spent some time researching this very forest. If you need any help naming a plant, just come find me."

Another member of the information team raised her hand. "What if we have a diary, but we can't draw?"

"Just give it to someone who can draw. Most of the people on my team are excellent artists," said Pretty Pictures.

The Noelites dropped their partially completed bows and arrows, and dug through their things for their notebooks and writing utensils. They carefully tore out all the pages with writing and burned them in the fire. Then, they redistributed the books to those who could put them to the best use. Some Noelites got back to the task of fashioning weapons, while others trudged through the forest to find a good specimen to sketch.

One hour later, the action team came marching back into camp with a pile of dead rodents. The Noelites watched in wide-eyed disgust as the action them members skewered the tiny creatures and roasted them over the fire.

"Um… Tulip? Would there happen to be any edible plants around here?" Asked Pretty Pictures, " I'm really not in the mood for rat kabobs right now."

"Those are voles, not rats. Anyway there might be a few roots and things to eat around here. If you're really set on being a vegetarian, go pull a few things out of the ground and I'll let you know if they are edible or not. Don't eat anything without talking to me first, though."

"OK. Will do."

Pretty Pictures led a small expedition to search for edible roots while the rest of the Noelites munched on barbequed vole.

**Call for Reviews: **There is still another character that I would like help naming, so keep the guesses coming. The person who guesses the last one of the vehicle makes correctly gets the naming privilege! This second character will also be appearing in the prequel, which I am already writing in my paper notebook. So far, it is more light-hearted than this story, with some humorous parts. While this story burns hot all the way through, the prequel will read more like a classic silentshipping story with plenty of fluff and a few twists.


	14. Cute Couple ,,, Ms Brown

**Author's Note:** I have my computer back thanks to my boyfriend's fantastic IT guy! Again, this chapter was originally two separate chapters, but I tacked the second one onto the end of this one because the second one was very short. I have noticed that I am naturally writing longer chapters as I go along, so I'm not going to combine every update like this... just the ones that work.

To my new reviewer Plessie: BMW was already guessed, but it is correct. The other correct guesses so far were Mercedes and VW. There are three left, so keep the guesses rolling! There will definitely be more Seto x Kisara interaction very soon. You will see her in the next chapter, and things will heat up from there.

**Chapter 14 Cute "Couple"**

Rebecca and Joan were deep in conversation when Seto Kaiba came downstairs to check on them. He sat down in a white leather chair and watched as Rebecca rambled on about physics and chemistry. Joan seemed to be holding her own in the conversation quite well. She asked intelligent questions and nodded her head of dark auburn curls whenever Rebecca explained something.

"Do you swear that Noel didn't fly that plane into Industrial Illusions or set of the explosives that brought the building down?" the geeky blonde asked.

"I swear," Joan answered sincerely.

"How do I know I can trust you?" Rebecca wondered skeptically.

"You can trust her because I trust her," interjected Kaiba, "You should check out the news this morning. It looks like the other Noelites made a clean escape. Everyone but Penguin is still on the loose. During the chase, a helicopter accidentally smashed into a steel bridge and exploded. Several hours later, the government blew up the bridge when it was perfectly fine. Just watch it for yourself. Based on the position of the sun, there was a significant gap of time between when the helicopter hit and when they show the bridge collapse. Someone on the inside is trying to cover up his mess and create panic at the same time. The news is getting slower as well. I'm sure that certain things are being censored before they go on the air. The authorities mentioned that they caught Penguin, but they said nothing about-"

The doorbell rang, cutting off the rest of Seto's sentence. Seto sighed and slowly shuffled to the front door. Rebecca followed, but Joan hid in another room just in case it was someone from the government.

Seto opened the door. A muscular man with weary purple eyes and shaggy black hair wearing the same festive green sweater he had worn on Christmas morning was standing on the porch. Seto shouted with glee and smothered Mokuba with a big hug.

Serenity and the children heard the commotion and came racing downstairs. Once Seto released Mokuba, the children jumped all over him. "What happened to you last night, uncle Mokuba? The grown-ups wouldn't tell us anything," said Janet. Her blue eyes gazed up at him curiously, begging for him to tell the story.

Mokuba hugged both girls to him closely. "I'll tell you about it later. I need a rest right now,"

Janet pushed back from him. "Aww! That's grown-up talk for 'I'm going to think of a good excuse so you don't find out what I was really doing,'" she pouted.

Sarah clung close to her father. Her soft, dark auburn hair brushed against his sweater. "We're just glad you're home, Uncle Mokuba," she said diligently. She had been scolded by her mother for calling Seto by his first name in front of Rebecca last night, and she did not want to make another mistake.

Serenity stood back from all the action and went to find Joan. Joan was still hiding in one of the nearby rooms, so she was not too difficult to locate for someone who knew the house well.

"Mokuba just got out of jail. Go kiss him. We have a guest watching." Serenity told Joan.

"But, I've never kissed him before… not like that, anyway. It will look awkward," Joan protested.

"It will look more awkward if you don't. Rebecca is scrutinizing everything. Besides, it's not that difficult. You just close your eyes and… oh, let me show you." Serenity threw her arms around Joan's neck and kissed her full on the lips. Joan let out a muffled yelp as Serenity's soft lips pressed into her own. Serenity sucked with tender, yet firm force that made Joan feel tingly from head to toe. Just when Joan was starting to get wet, Serenity pulled back. Serenity blushed when she saw the lustful look on Joan's face. "OK, that was for Mokuba. Give him that exact same kiss and it won't be from you; it will be from me."

Joan recovered from the lustful fire that Serenity had sparked in her and nodded. With Serenity's sweet, strawberry-like flavor on her lips, it would be easy to carry out her request. Joan walked out to the entrance hall and gave Mokuba the exact same kiss she had received from Serenity.

Mokuba was floored by Joan's sudden advance on him, and submitted to the intimate lip-lock without a single moment of hesitation. Shivers of delight spread through his body in a way that he thought only Serenity, and possibly Penguin, could make him feel. When Joan was finished, Mokuba went in for a second round. He pressed his lips hungrily against hers in order to get a better taste. However, something was different. The second kiss didn't feel right somehow. Mokuba was confused and desperately wanted to gain back the tantalizing tingles of the first kiss.

Mokuba was about to try again when Seto said in a perturbed tone, "All right you two. Break it up or take it to another room."

Mokuba looked up and saw Serenity staring at him. She gave him a wink and mouthed, "I'll tell you later."

Serenity gathered the children and took them back upstairs while the Kaiba brothers, Rebecca, and Joan made their way into the living room.

"Wow Mokuba, you and Kari, or is it Joan now? Anyway, you two make such a cute couple! So, Joey said that you two were secretive because of the strict dating policies at her corporation, but the real reason is because she is a Noelite, isn't it?" Rebecca gushed.

"Umm… Yeah, I guess you could put it that way." Mokuba responded with a blush. In his head, he connected a few dots and surmised that Serenity must have put Joan up to kissing him for a good reason. Rebecca was one to gossip, and it would be better if she continued to repeat the story that she had already been told rather than knowing the truth about the Kaiba family. Mokuba took Joan's hand and sat with her on a soft blue couch while Rebecca and Seto sat in the white leather chairs that accompanied it.

"So," Seto said, "Who should I thank for your release? I must owe a really big favor to someone, and you know how I hate owing favors."

"Penguin did it. She lied for me so that I could be free. I think she… Nevermind," Mokuba said, trying desperately not to blush.

"Penguin? I owe a favor to that nasty poodle who barged into our home that one evening?" Seto bellowed in distress.

"She's not that bad, Seto. I think the reason you don't like her is that she is a lot like you, and if you ever met your clone, I don't think that the two of you would get along. Anyway, she is very smart and just misunderstood. That's all," Mokuba defended.

"That is true," said Joan, "She is a very good person to have around when you need her. I think we should break her out of prison as soon as possible."

Seto grumbled, and Mokuba wanted to say more in defense of the woman he desired, but decided that it would not be a good idea with the present company. "Um, so… What is Rebecca doing here?" he asked instead.

"Long story short," said Joan, "Rebecca found a missing piece of the puzzle for us. We're dealing with something much more complex than we originally thought. Someone in the government intentionally caused the death of six hundred people and blamed us. We need to get to the bottom of this right away."

The four of them sat in silence for a few moments before Rebecca finally said, "OK! Let's do some more research on this. There must be some way to stop this madness."

"Follow me," said Kaiba. He stood abruptly and led them out the back door of the mansion and across the extensive garden beyond. He led them through a tranquil forest and over a frozen creek. The four of them remained in silent contemplation throughout the journey, and when they reached the safe house it felt eerily as if they had entered another, magical world.

Tam greeted the group with a relieved smile at the sight of Mokuba and a brief, suspicious glare for Rebecca. Seto Kaiba showed Rebecca the computer and electronic equipment while Mokuba and Joan updated Tam on the most recent turn of events.

"I already knew they blew up the bridge," said Tam, "I caught the whole thing on this police scanner. I also learned that the police have recovered several of our cell-phones, but not their real owners. The police are really pissed-off now. They've been running all over the place and so far Penguin is the only on they've managed to catch."

"What else have you learned?" Asked Joan.

"Not much. I've been up all night trying to figure out all the different pieces of equipment in here. The police scanner was the only thing I could get working."

"Did you get any sleep at all?" asked Joan.

"No, but I don't need much sleep."

Despite Tam's confidence, Joan was concerned. "Do me a favor and go take a nap. We'll keep an ear on the scanner for now. I want you to be well-rested in case an emergency arises."

Tam yawned thankfully and went to find a good place to crash. Rebecca went straight for the main computer and started typing madly. She had a theory to test, and she wanted hard evidence.

"Ah ha!" Rebecca exclaimed.

Joan leaned over Rebecca's shoulder. "What did you find?" A long list of transactions appeared on the main computer screen.

"This is a list of everyone who purchased services from Brown Demolitions Incorporated over the past nine months. I need you to cross-reference these names with this list of employees from Industrial Illusions." Rebecca printed out two lists from the computer and handed them to Joan and Mokuba.

Joan and Mokuba scrutinized both lists, but found no similarities between them. However, there was a rather large tax-deductible donation made by Mr. Brown himself to an unspecified government entity. Mokuba and Joan showed this discrepancy to Rebecca.

Rebecca gasped. "That's enough to bring down twenty skyscrapers! We need to look deeper into this, and right away!"

"I know how we can do it," said Seto.

"How?" wondered Mokuba.

"The same way I infiltrated Rakitan Industries. I have some tiny robotic cameras the size of fleas. All I need to do is plant a few on my secretary, who happens to be Mr. Brown's niece. Once she gets close to him, I can easily transfer them to his person or his surroundings."

"How soon can you do this?" asked Joan.

"Today. Ms. Brown is in the office now. I asked her to work today and call me if anything important happened," Seto responded.

Seto put on his trench coat and was about to leave when Rebecca said, "Wait! What if they plan to bomb your building next?"

"Don't worry about that. I'll transmit myself directly from here to the office using my holographic technology."

"In that case," said Rebecca, "have fun."

Seto gave Rebecca a harsh stare as a silvery orb engulfed his tall, lean body. Didn't she know that spying directly on one of the most powerful men in the world was serious business, not just a game? Although Seto doubted that the government would be able to detect his bugs, Seto was not eager to find out what would happen if they did.

**Chapter 14.5 Ms. Brown**

Seto Kaiba materialized in the middle of his office. He looked around and spotted a man in a hard hat and orange suspenders inspecting a corner of the room.

"Who the hell let you in here?" Kaiba roared.

The man in the hard hat jumped and his measuring tape clattered to the floor. "M-Ms. Brown, Sir!"

"Get out of here! I'll deal with you later." The worker picked up his measuring tape and scurried out of the room. Kaiba followed on his heels. "Brown! Who is this monkey and what is he doing in my office?"

"He is installing a new, energy-efficient cooling and heating system, sir," Ms. Brown said crisply. She looked up at him with a direct, yet professional gaze. Her cold, light brown eyes resembled the frozen leaves outside. Her dark brown suit complimented her eyes, but otherwise did nothing to make the stern woman appealing.

"When did I authorize that?"

"You didn't. I knew it was something you would approve, so I did not trouble you with it."

"Ms. Brown, I want to know about everything that goes on in this building. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir!" Ms. Brown spun around in her chair, opened one of her filing cabinets, and pulled out a file. She flipped it open and started reading. "Last Thursday at 2:49 pm, Mr. Rodgers spilled coffee in the lobby of the 16th floor. We authorized Clean & Carefree Carpet Service to clean up the mess and their fee was deducted from Mr. Rodgers's pay. At 3:16 pm on that same day, Mr. Vandendburger was testing a prototype of your latest duel disk on the 7th floor. When he summoned Curse of Dragon, the creature was much larger than he expected. The Curse of Dragon hologram broke two windows with its force fields and sent broken glass flying everywhere. Mr. Vandendburger needed 45 stitches, and his opponent-"

"That's enough! I don't need the details, just tell me about anything that affects the whole building," Kaiba snapped.

"Understood, sir."

Kaiba stormed back into his office. If he did not need his secretary to reach Mr. Brown, he would have fired her on the spot even though she had been working for him for decades. Kaiba turned on his computer and took a few minutes to breathe and collect his thoughts. He opened a locked drawer in his desk and pulled out a glass box filled with what appeared to be coarse grains of sand. He took a flash drive out of the box and inserted it into his computer. With the interface active, he called forth twenty of the tiny devices. He placed the box on the floor, and the active machines jumped out of the case. They crawled along the floor and slipped under the door. Through the interface, Kaiba guided them to his secretary's shoes. They crawled up into the arches of her brown pumps and attached themselves there with little suction cups. Then, Seto shut them off to conserve power until they could be of use. He also set up a bug in his own office for good measure and left it active. With its electromagnetic sensors, it found a wire in one of the walls and sent out a tiny tendril so it could tap into the permanent power supply of the CEO's office.

Kaiba went back out to talk to his secretary. "I've done all I needed to do today. I'm going back home. Please thank your uncle for me."

The secretary looked slightly shocked. "For what?"

Kaiba gave her a knowing smirk. In all the time she had worked for him, he had never seen her squirm this much. Even though Kaiba knew otherwise, he said, "Your uncle helped get my brother out of jail."

"Oh." The secretary relaxed visibly. "I will thank him for you the next time I see him."

Seto smirked again, walked back into his office, and disappeared in a shower of silver sparks.


	15. Patrick Taylor

**Author's Note:** As promised, Kisara is here!

**Warnings: **brief language

**Chapter 15 Patrick Taylor**

Tristan rang the doorbell of the Kaiba mansion while Kisara held her new son tightly. Her long, silvery hair brushed against the warm blue fleece outfit that he wore. Tristan's hands shook, and after ringing the doorbell, he shoved them inside the pockets of his tan-colored coat. They were both extremely nervous about coming here, yet they both felt an irresistible drive.

Tristan had called Joey to get directions, and had been caught completely off-guard by his strange comment. After giving directions, Joey had said, "You know Tristan, I always did like you better than Kaiba. He got my little sister into some pretty freaky shit. I just wish she could have a normal life. Anyway, seeing you again might be good for her. Have fun!" Tristan was about to ask Joey what he meant, but Joey had already hung up. Plus, Kisara was nearby and Tristan did not want to make a scene. In any event, he was glad that Kisara had not heard Joey's strange comment. It might have dissuaded her from allowing him to see Serenity. Now, as Tristan stood on the porch of the Kaiba mansion, Joey's words kept echoing through his mind.

Serenity answered the door with her two darling daughters. The little girls jumped with joy at the arrival of visitors, but their faces fell as they recognized the two boring adults from church. Serenity, on the other hand, greeted them kindly and invited them inside. She then dismissed her daughters to play with their new Christmas toys upstairs. Serenity led her guests into the tea room and offered them some snacks.

Once they were all seated comfortably, Tristan said, "We came by to thank you and your husband for the very cordial treatment we received at the orphanage. How did you know we would stop by there yesterday?"

There was an awkward silence as Serenity tried to think of how to respond. Seto, Mokuba, Joan, and she had planned to visit the orphanage yesterday, but fate had different plans for them. She had no idea that it would be Tristan and Kisara who actually visited the place. "Um… Let me ask Seto about that. It was his idea… I'll be right back!"

Serenity stood up quickly and left the room. Her long, light auburn hair swirled behind her as she closed the door. She dialed Seto's cell-phone number and waited for him to pick up.

"Hello Darling," Seto answered. His voice sounded strangely lighter and happier than usual.

"Hey! Tristan and Kisara are here."

"Kisara! You mean that beautiful woman from church?"

"Yes. Apparently they took our advice and adopted a baby yesterday. I think the matron might have misunderstood your instructions, because they think that you had something to do with their… warm reception at the orphanage. I think you should come back here with Joan, or what's-her-name."

"Taminator?"

"Yes. I think the baby might be you-know-who."

"All right. I'll bring the Taminator. The police have not posted a photograph of Joan yet, but they have a pretty good composite sketch on her. We can't take any chances."

"Good idea. The Taylors might not trust Joan as readily as Rebecca did. I'll see you soon."

Serenity hung up, forced herself to put on a smile, and went back into the tea room. "You can thank Seto in person," she said, "He will be back home in a few minutes."

Kisara's heart raced at the thought of seeing him again, and her face flushed with guilty desire. She desperately tried to rid her mind of thoughts of him by changing the subject. "So, while we are waiting, do you have any advice for us? This is our first child, and we have no idea what we are doing."

"For one thing," began Serenity, "Try to find some real breast milk for him. There are thousands of wet nurses online, and you can get bottles of breast milk delivered to your door if you would rather not meet them in person."

"What about allergies?" asked Kisara, "Could he be allergic to certain types of breast milk?"

"That is highly unlikely, but worth investigating. Have you had his DNA analyzed yet?" asked Serenity.

"No. Would you recommend we do that here, or wait until we get back to America?"

Serenity thought of the potential consequences of a DNA analysis. If this child really was Sean, it would surely alert the authorities. "Why don't you let me run the analysis for you? I'm a nurse, so I have access to the equipment and databases. Besides, most of the doctors who do this regularly are on holiday right now, so you would have trouble getting an appointment anytime soon."

"Really? Wow! Thank you so much! How can we return the favor?" Kisara responded politely.

"Just take good care of him. I have a soft spot for adopted boys. By the way, what made you decide to adopt him so quickly?"

Tristan and Kisara glanced at each other and looked away again. The baby let out a short cry. While Kisara soothed him, Tristan said, "After Noel's atrocious act of terrorism we all witnessed yesterday, it just felt like the right thing to do. I mean, we live in a dangerous world now, and the innocent need our protection."

Serenity stiffened. Tristan sounded like he had been listening to too much mainstream news. "We have always lived in a dangerous world, Tristan. You are more likely to die in a car crash than you are to die in a plane crash or an act of terrorism."

Tristan's brown eyes flashed darkly. "Not now that Noel has changed their policy on killing innocent people. On our way over here, we heard on the radio that Noel is threatening to more strikes if Penguin is not set free. They said that our best hope of preventing the attacks would be to find all the Noelites and turn them in. They are calling civilians everywhere to help with the search. A bunch of people, former Noel supporters, have already come forward and offered to help. However, nobody can locate the core group. They just disappeared."

Serenity shivered. "Let's not talk about this, OK Tristan?"

Joey's word echoed again through Tristan's mind and he wondered again what they meant. Tristan thought about the highly publicized events of nine months ago, and Serenity's brush with the deadly Ebola virus. "Serenity, do you feel safe here?" he asked.

"Yes. Look, let's just talk about something else. What kind of crib did you get?"

The three adults started talking about diapers, toys, Mozart, and other things that were supposed to be good for a child's development. After a while, Seto walked into the room followed by Tam and Mokuba. Tam had taken advantage of the clean clothes stored at the safe house. She wore a simple black turtleneck with black snow pants, making her look like a ninja.

"Let me see him," Tam demanded instantly.

Kisara held Patrick closer to her breast and asked in a bewildered tone, "Who are you?"

"This is the cousin of Rebecca Hawkins. She… thinks that the baby might belong to her sister, who died in the bombing," Mokuba covered quickly.

"There was a bombing, too?" Tristan wondered, "How come I didn't hear about it?"

"Industrial Illusions collapsed by demolition, you idiot. Buildings don't fall when airplanes hit them," Seto snapped. He glared at Tristan in an attempt to make him feel small.

Kisara looked at Seto in wonder while Tristan muttered something under his breath. Kisara was so captivated by Seto's gorgeous blue eyes that she barely noticed when Tam took the baby boy from her arms.

Tam took one look at the baby's chocolate brown eyes and said, "Oh my God! Did he come with a note?"

Tristan looked coldly at Seto and handed the note to Mokuba. Mokuba's eyes widened as he recognized the handwriting of the woman he desired. He read the note once, twice, then thrice. He wondered what Penguin had planned to do with him before she was captured.

"What do you think it means?" Asked Tristan.

"I couldn't tell you," Mokuba said casually as he handed the note back to Tristan. "Did you actually name him Patrick, by any chance?"

"Yeah. My mom liked the name, so we kept it."

Mokuba shot a worried look at Tam, who was still gazing intently into the eyes of her lost love. Serenity observed all this and said, "Well, the only way we will know for sure is to conduct a DNA test. Mokuba, why don't you help me gather my medical supplies?"

"Sure," Mokuba said and followed Serenity out of the room.

As soon as they were in the hallway, Serenity began to speak rapidly. "OK. We obviously can't give them a real DNA test, but Patrick is going to get one sooner or later whether we like it or not. So, we need to hack into the government database and create a false DNA profile for him. Can you and Rebecca do that?"

"Yes. It shouldn't be too hard," Mokuba replied.

"Good. You need to randomize most of his genes, but just make sure you get the important stuff right. Hair color, eye color, blood type, approximate height—make sure that each one is slightly different from the original, though. Actually, use his original DNA sequence and just make little changes wherever you can."

"What about fingerprints?" Mokuba asked.

"Don't worry about those. Fingerprints are determined by the womb environment, not DNA. They should already be different, anyway."

Serenity opened the door to her study and went inside with Mokuba. The room was peaceful compared to the stressful turmoil inside Mokuba and Serenity. Novels and medical books line the walls, and a majestic mahogany desk graced the room. In the corner of the room, there was a cabinet filled with emergency medical supplies. Serenity went to the cabinet and took out a delicate syringe, some cotton balls, and other items just in case. She and Mokuba then carried the equipment back to the tea room.

"One more thing," said Serenity on the way back, "You are going to have to convince Tam to let Sean go. This whole thing is clearly out of our hands. That boy is going to grow up in America, and there is no telling when we will see him next. Also, given Tristan's attitude towards Noel, Sean might reject his heritage when he learns the truth."

"Yeah, I'll talk to her," Mokuba sighed. He knew that it would be no easy task, and he was not looking forward to it.

Serenity paused before the door of the tea room and gave Mokuba a quick kiss. "Good luck! Oh, and I almost forgot to tell you. Remember that welcome-home kiss that Joan gave you? That was really from me. I kissed Joan so that she would know how to kiss you."

"Really? Wow, that explains a lot." Mokuba leaned in for a deeper kiss with Serenity, and felt happiness spread through his whole body. The kiss gave him confidence and strength as he opened the door of the tea room.

The scene that greeted them was strange. It was as if everyone had been frozen in time since the moment they left. Tam was still holding Sean, Seto and Kisara were still staring at each other, and Tristan was glaring suspiciously at everyone. Serenity coaxed the baby out of Tam's grasp and prepared to take his blood.

"It will take a while to process the results, so why don't you two stay for dinner?" Serenity offered to Tristan, hoping to distract him from watching Seto and his wife. Sean was remarkably cooperative while Serenity took his blood, and the process was completed without a hitch.

Tristan broke his gaze away from Seto and smiled at Serenity. "Good idea. It will give us a chance to catch up. Hey, I want to ask you something privately."

"Sure." Serenity handed Mokuba the vial of blood. "Mokuba, you and Tam take this to the lab. Seto, why don't you take Kisara upstairs and show her Sarah's old nursery?"

"It will be my pleasure," Seto replied.

Kisara took her son back from Serenity and bowed her head graciously as Seto held the door open for her. Mokuba then dragged Tam out the door, leaving Tristan and Serenity alone at last.

**Closing Note:** I am going on a week-long trip, and I do not plan on taking my computer with me. So, leave lots of reviews and I'll post more when I get back! I think you're going to love the next chapter :)

"Sean" and "Patrick" will be used interchangeably depending on the mood of the story. For those of you who did not read "Rakitan Industries and Kaiba Corporation" all the way through, Sean is the former leader of Noel's action team. When he died, Kaiba cloned him and Penguin carried him to term.


	16. Alone At Last

**Author's Note: **Due to unforeseen complications, my trip has been delayed. I should be taking it mid-week instead, and it will be a little shorter than originally planned.

Thank you so much for your reviews! I am happy to know that my revision efforts are being appreciated. I am considering doing a complete re-write of "Rakitan Industries and Kaiba Corporation" after I have completed the prequel, which is really starting to bloom in my paper notebook.

Fire Ice and snowcones has alerted me that there is a flamer going around leaving reviews under other people's names. So, if you get a nasty review that says it is from her or Punk Rock Kitsune or me or anyone else you recognize who is not logged into their account, just delete it immediately and do not let it bother you.

**Music Lover's Alert: **For this chapter, I recommend "Cry" by Rihanna for the first scene and "Everytime we touch" by Cascada for the second scene. The third scene does not have a song to go with it. I remember back when Cascada was more popular and everyone was using her music for various blueshipping works. So, here's to the classics!

**Random Music Lover's Alert: **For my fellow Christian friends who are still reading this… I've been pulling up a bunch of my old favorites from church and marking them in my favorites on my You Tube account. They have inspired me in the past, and I am hoping that they will inspire me again in the near future. I have carefully selected my favorite version (or two) of each song that is available online, usually a choir version because I think the soloists ruin the songs while trying to show off their voices and I like harmonies. This means that I sacrifice clarity for beauty, so if you have any trouble understanding the songs, just go look up the lyrics.

**Warnings: **Language, mild sexual content

**Chapter 16 Alone at Last**

"Serenity," Tristan began, "Are you happy here?" His concerned brown eyes penetrated her soft green ones.

Serenity remembered the last time he had looked at her like that. It was over fifteen years ago, but the memory of it still rang clearly in her mind. However, she did not need him anymore. At least, that is what she told herself. After he abandoned her, she had learned to live without him and now she could answer his question firmly without any hesitation. "Yes, Tristan. Why do you ask?"

"Joey said something strange to me when I was getting directions to this place."

Serenity went pale. Joey knew the Kaiba family secret, and although he had agreed not to tell anyone, Serenity knew that he sometimes had a difficult time keeping his mouth shut. "What exactly did he tell you?"

"He wouldn't go into detail. The phrase he used was 'some pretty freaky shit.' Please excuse my language, but that's exactly how he put it. Now tell me what is going on."

Serenity lowered her head and shook it from side to side. Her light auburn hair swayed as she spoke. "Joey and Seto just don't see eye-to-eye. They never have and they never will."

Tristan refused to accept her vague answer, and raised his voice slightly in frustration. "Come on, Serenity! Throw me a bone here. I have a feeling that this is more serious. It has something to do with Noel, doesn't it?"

"What makes you say that?"

"First, you and Seto suffered from Ebola. Then, Kaiba Corp. T-shirts get ruined. Yesterday, Mokuba shows up with a girl that looks suspiciously like Kari Rakitan, but never told us her name. Today, Mokuba shows up with a different chick, and a rude one at that. You think I can't read the signs? Something fishy is going on here."

"It's not what you think. It's very complicated. I don't even know the full story."

"So, you're just going to sit here and let it happen? Why don't you go to the authorities?"

Serenity groaned and buried her face in her hands. Tristan clearly thought he knew more than he actually did, and this was going to be a problem.

"Serenity, let me help you. No matter what it is, I'll protect you."

Serenity sighed. "You're still a hopeless romantic, aren't you?"

Tristan reddened. "So what if I am? I… I miss you, Serenity. Leaving you was the biggest mistake I ever made. If there was some way to change the past, I would do it. I just don't want to see you get hurt again, OK?" Tristan fell to his knees in front of Serenity in a stance that a desperate lover might take.

Serenity looked at the brown-haired man on the light blue carpet before her. Crow's feet were starting to form around his eyes, but he still looked just as handsome as the eighteen year-old boy who had left her to go to America. Memories of happy outings at Burger World and secret kissed behind Joey's back flooded Serenity's mind, but she resisted them. She could not give into her feelings without knowing more first. "Tristan, the past is over. The only things we can change are the present and the future. I have only one question for you now. What would your wife say if she saw you doing this?"

"She would probably leave me."

"Then why are you doing this?"

Tristan hesitated, and gazed deeply into Serenity's eyes. "I just have to know if you still have feelings for me… Do you?"

Serenity saw her chance. There was an easy way to find out if Tristan would accept her family for what they were. She spoke slowly, and prayed that he would give her the answer she wanted to hear. "If I did have feelings for you, would you expect me to leave Seto?"

"Yes!"

Serenity's heart felt like it was breaking all over again. She steeled herself against the pain and thought of her children. Their beautiful little faces flashed through her mind and gave her strength. "Then the answer is no. I don't love you enough to leave my family."

"Serenity, I…" Tristan's words were lost in tears as all his hope slipped away from him. He clung to her long pink winter skirt and sobbed into it while Serenity reached out to stroke his thinning hair. Tristan's tears seeped into her skirt and she felt them moisten her knees. Serenity, on the other hand, shed no tears. Although she still cared for Tristan, she had done all her crying for him long ago when he went off to college and left her behind.

…..…

Meanwhile, Kisara leaned over Sarah's old cradle and placed Patrick inside. As she did so, Seto stood back and admired the alluring curves of her posterior, framed by strands of her long silvery hair that fell around it. Kisara then stood up and rocked the cradle gently. "Do you believe in destiny?" she asked.

At the mention of destiny, thousands of images flashed through Seto's mind. He remembered first his duel with Ishizu, and then everything that followed. He had tried to forget it all, but from looking at Kisara now, there was no way to deny that she was the same woman who haunted his past. Joan had said something about re-incarnation once; something about unfinished business and finding an approximate genetic match for one's soul. It was the reason why she wanted Sean cloned.

"I never believed in destiny… until now," Seto answered.

Kisara turned towards him. Her glowing crystalline blue eyes gazed into his. "I've had dreams about you, but I never thought I would actually meet you… until now."

As if drawn by an inescapable magnetic pull, Kisara and Seto moved closer to each other. Their eyes closed, and their lips locked. An electric current passed between them as they fell into each other's embrace. As the kiss deepened, Seto's hand snuck up the back of her sweater, where he unhooked her bra. Something in the back of his mind questioned the rationality of his actions, but Seto decided that he could worry about consequences later.

Kisara quickly lifted the sweater over her head and threw her bra aside, revealing a set of magnificent, creamy breasts with small, pink nipples. Seto worshipped her breasts with his tongue and his hands, exploring every inch of her luscious chest. Kisara moaned in pleasure and arched her back while delightful sensations reverberated through her body.

The two of them were so absorbed in the moment that they failed to hear the soft knock at the door or the quiet click of it opening. However, they could not ignore the shrill scream that followed.

…**.….**

Rebecca was listening to one of the tiny little decides that Seto had implanted in his secretary's shoe. The delicate little instrument was operating in audio-only mode to conserve power until it reached a more permanent source of power, but it was all that Rebecca needed to confirm her suspicions.

Ms. Brown called her uncle shortly after Seto left. Even though she was speaking to a family member, she spoke professionally and efficiently. "Kaiba came by the office today and ran into one of your workers."

Rebecca could not hear Mr. Brown's responses, on the other end of the line, but it was easy for her to discern the nature of the conversation.

"Kaiba is a workaholic. This isn't the first time he has shown up at the office on a vacation day."

…short pause…

"No, he doesn't suspect a thing. He just wanted to thank you for getting Mokuba out of prison."

…short pause…

"Really? I guess Mokuba was innocent after all."

…long pause…

"Yes. I suppose that Technicrop would be the next logical one to pull. Do they have full insurance on the facility yet?"

…medium pause…

"Noon tomorrow? That doesn't give me much time to rig the airplane."

…short pause…

"That works better for me. I'll let you know when I have everything in order. Bye."

As soon as the conversation ended, Rebecca flew into a panic. She had to warn Kaiba immediately if they had any hope of preventing the next attack. She turned the equipment over to Joan to monitor, and then sprinted as fast as she could towards the Kaiba mansion.

Half way there, Rebecca bumped into Mokuba and Tam. "Mokuba," she panted, "Where is your brother? I have an important message for him."

"Nursery. Second floor, fourth door on your left," Mokuba answered.

"Thanks!" Rebecca yelled as she dashed away. Mokuba tried to say something else, but she was already too far away to hear it. Her long blond hair trailed behind her as her feet pounded the earth, and she arrived at the Kaiba mansion in no time.

She went straight to the nursery, knocked on the door, and caught her breath for a few moments while she waited. When nobody answered, she took a deep breath and opened the door. She did not know what she expected to see in there, but it was certainly not the sight that assaulted her vision. Seto Kaiba was fondling a half-naked woman that she had never seen before. What else could she do but scream?

While Kisara fumbled with her clothes and Seto attempted to help her, Rebecca ran downstairs to get away from the scene. Rebecca burst into the tea room and saw Serenity sitting there with Tristan at her feet. In a daze, Rebecca uttered, "Serenity, your husband is ch-cheating on you!" Rebecca then collapsed on the floor from a combination of exhaustion and shock.

Seto and Kisara appeared in the doorway a few seconds later looking flustered. Tristan took one look at Seto and said, "Leave him, Serenity. That cheater isn't good enough for you!"

"Oh no! Not this again," Serenity groaned. She remembered how much trouble she had gone through with Agent Saunders and Joey, and she was not looking forward to another fiasco like that.

Tristan pointed a finger at Seto. "You bastard! You've done this more than once, haven't you? As for you," Tristan moved his finger toward Kisara, "I expected better from you."

Kisara burst into tears and Seto could not help but put his arm around her. "You've got it all wrong, Taylor. If anyone here is to blame, it's you for not satisfying the needs of your wife."

"Are you questioning my manhood?" Tristan challenged.

"Stop it! Both of you," Serenity scolded. "Tristan, just moments ago you were attempting to make a move on me. Now, stop acting like children."

Conveniently, Serenity's children burst into the room at that moment. "Mom! Janet won't share her toys with me. She's hogging everything, even the stuff she's not using!" Sarah wailed. Her purple eyes spilled over with tears.

"That's because Sarah always breaks things!" Janet stated impetuously. She stuck her nose up in the air like she had seen her father do on so many occasions when he was scolding an employee.

"See what I mean?" Serenity said to the men.

Rebecca woke up just in time to see Serenity take Sarah by the shoulder and say firmly, "Sarah, be more careful with Janet's toys. Janet has a choice about whether or not to share with you. When she shares with you, she is placing her trust in you. Think of it this way: Your _uncle_ Seto placed his trust in your _father_ Mokuba when he decided to share me with him. If Mokuba ever treated me badly, Seto would be very angry."

Rebecca, Tristan, Kisara, and Seto gaped at Serenity as she spoke.

"But I thought _Father_ was the one who treated you badly by working all the time," said Sarah in a confused tone, keeping the title for Seto that she had been taught to use in front of strangers.

"It works both ways, and that is why we forgive." Serenity turned to her other daughter. "Janet, maybe someday you'll borrow one of Sarah's toys and accidentally break it. Do you think it would be fair if Sarah never trusted you with her toys ever again?"

"No," Janet said solemnly.

Serenity glanced briefly at the other adults in the room. "Now, I have another question for you girls. You see Seto standing over there with that woman? He just started a relationship with her without asking me, or his other girlfriend, or that woman's husband. How do you think that makes all of us feel?"

Janet looked around at all of the adults in the room with a disoriented look on her face. Unlike her sister, her eyes were almost exactly the same blue color as Seto's. "Um, mom? I thought we weren't supposed to talk about this stuff in front of strangers."

"Yes, but I'm tired of having to keep secrets in my own home. From now on, everyone who walks through our front door will know the truth about our family."

"Even my friends?" Asked Sarah hopefully.

"No, I take that back. We can't tell everyone because most people are not mature enough to even understand the concept of sharing, let alone actually do it."

A heavy and stifling silence fell over the room, and the children looked at the perplexingly complicated expressions on the faces of the adults in bewilderment. There was anger, fear, confusion, relief, and hope. The sound of the doorbell interrupted their deadlock.

"Well, let's go see who it is," Serenity said. Everyone filed out of the tea room and made their way to the front door.

**Call for Reviews**: Can anyone guess who will be at the door? This should be an easy one. Since I am running low on character names for minor characters in this and in my prequel and people seem to have lost interest in guessing the car makes, everyone who guesses correctly the people at the door gets to name a character… probably a bully-type person.


	17. Legends

**Author's Note:** Thank you for the reviews! There will be more intense lemons later in this story, but I will give you fair warning so you can skip over them if it is not legal for you to read them in your locality. In Canada, the legal age is 16, and 14 with parental consent. So, if you are under 18 and living in America, you might want to take a trip up North before reading the lemons… just kidding. You should just skip them because I know how hard it is to deal with parents and stuff at that age. Anyway, this chapter has no warnings, so enjoy! Oh, and congratulations to Fire Ice and snowcones for guessing correctly!

**Disclaimer:** There is a non-fiction book recommendation in here. That book was written by Meredith Small for anyone who is interested. I do now own it. I just figured I should give her some credit for influencing my views because I do not have a baby and pretty much everything I learned about babies came from my human development psychology course.

**Chapter 17 Legends**

A tall woman of majestic stature with long, straight black hair and deeply tanned skin and a shorter, yet equally majestic man with spiky black, red, and yellow hair stood before the Kaiba mansion. The couple wore matching white down overcoats and black snow boots, which they had just purchased at the airport to protect them from Japan's cold winter. A little bit of gold glinted at Ishizu's throat, but her overcoat covered most of her jewelry.

"Yugi! Ishizu! What are you doing here?" Serenity exclaimed.

The children looked curiously at the new arrivals. They had heard many exciting stories about these two family friends, but they had never actually met them in person. Ishizu and Yugi worked and lived in Egypt, where they uncovered historical artifacts and prepared them for display in museums. Although Seto spoke very little of them and looked down on their work, Serenity and Mokuba thrilled the girls with exciting tales when Seto was not present.

"I have come to warn you," Ishizu began, "Unless we take action immediately, thousands of people will die!"

"That's just what I was about to tell them," interjected Rebecca," The Technicrop tower is going to go up in smoke tomorrow at noon, or sometime very close to that at least."

"You mean those Noelite creeps are going to kill more people?" asked Tristan.

Rebecca adjusted her glasses and shot Tristan her classic know-it-all look. "Somebody's out of the loop! It's not Noel at all. Brown Demolitions is working with the government to frame Noel."

"That can't be! Our own government!" Tristan exclaimed.

Ishizu bowed her head and spoke in a sad, yet firm voice. "Unfortunately, Rebecca speaks the truth. I have seen all this with my millennium necklace. The building will collapse at 3:00 pm tomorrow. Unless we can evacuate everyone in time, the will be killed just as hundreds were killed yesterday."

"Can Sarah and I help? Please?" begged Janet. Sarah looked up at Ishizu with her pleading purple eyes.

"I am afraid that the journey is too treacherous for little ones. Janet, you must take care of your sister while the rest of us work," Ishizu responded.

Janet nodded, impressed that Ishizu knew her name without asking. Apparently Ishizu's powers were real, and Janet was willing to do anything that this legendary woman asked.

Ishizu continued to assign everyone else a role. "Now, our first task is to locate the rest of the Noelites and find a safe place for them to stay. Kaiba, please lead me to Joan. Kisara, please come with us. I have an urgent matter to discuss with you. Tristan and Serenity, please stay here with the children."

"Bossy chick, isn't she?" Tristan commented to Yugi. He spoke just loud enough for the others to hear.

Yugi shrugged. "Not always. She only gets like this when something important is at stake."

"Then why isn't she bossing you around, too?" Tristan continued to speak as if Ishizu was not present, but Ishizu held her head up high and ignored their interaction.

"She likes to let me think that I have a choice in the matter, and as long as I make the right choice, she doesn't tell me what to do."

"Speaking of right choices, can you keep an eye on Kaiba and Kisara for me in case they try anything funny?"

Yugi looked at Tristan with puzzlement in his deep purple eyes. "Um… I guess I could do that."

"You're the man, Yugi!"

Seto Kaiba smirked at Tristan's request. "What's the matter, Taylor? Can't trust your wife?"

"It's you I don't trust!" Tristan raged.

Kisara looked from man to man with a mixture of fear and distress on her pale face.

"Gentlemen, please!" Serenity interjected.

"Yes, please," said Ishizu calmly, "We have no time for fighting with each other. We must make haste!"

Seto, Kisara, Rebecca, Yugi, and Ishizu departed for the safe house, leaving Serenity, Tristan, and the children behind. Kisara took one last look at her husband as he stood with his arms crossed, glaring at Seto as the group made their way to the back door of the mansion. The children watched the legendary adults leave in wonder, trying to comprehend the gravity of the situation.

"Let's go play 'save the world'" Janet suggested.

"Yeah!" Sarah agreed.

As the children ran off to play, Serenity and Tristan looked at each other awkwardly. A chime sounded on the intercom by the door and Serenity looked at it to see a flashing yellow light.

"What is it? More visitors?" Tristan asked.

"No, I think your son needs a diaper change."

Tristan blinked. "But… I've never changed a diaper before."

"Come with me and I'll show you how," Serenity sighed. Serenity led Tristan upstairs. Along the way, she explained that the nursery was equipped with sensors that could detect an infant's needs, and send signals anywhere in the mansion to alert the nearest adult.

"Wow! I didn't know they made cool stuff like that. Is there an automatic diaper changer, too?"

"I'm sure someone has invented one, but we don't have it."

"Why not?"

Serenity giggled a little at Tristan's ignorance. "Infants need genuine human touch to develop and thrive. In fact, whenever possible you should hold Patrick and carry him around with you. It isn't good to leave infants alone for prolonged periods of time."

"Oh. My mother didn't tell me about that part. She's still too busy grieving over the loss of my dad to be much help." Tristan opened the door to the nursery for Serenity and she inclined her head to show her appreciation for his courtesy.

Before attending to Sean, Serenity went to the bookshelf and selected three books from the top shelf. She handed them to Tristan with a smile and said, "Here. These are yours to keep. I found them very useful when Janet and Sarah were infants." She then went to a cupboard, pulled out a fresh diaper, and got to work. Even though the Kaibas did not have need of the nursery anymore, they had never bothered to convert it into something else because they had plenty of space for all of their other needs in the mansion. A maid dusted the room weekly, but otherwise its contents had been left undisturbed for five years.

Tristan looked down at the top book on the stack and read the title out loud, "Our Babies, Ourselves: How Biology and Culture Shape the Way We Parent. This looks interesting… Serenity, why are you being so nice to me? Especially after Kisara and I ruined your marriage?"

Serenity powdered Sean's bottom. "You didn't ruin my marriage, Tristan. Actually, I don't know exactly what you did to my marriage yet, but I'm certain that you didn't ruin it."

"Oh… how can you be so sure?" Tristan sounded a little disappointed.

Without looking up from her work, Serenity said, "The reality of the situation is that I have two husbands. One is legal and the other is simply not on paper. In fact, Sarah's birth certificate says that Seto is her father when in truth her father is Mokuba. Now, Seto has a girlfriend and Mokuba has a crush on one of the Noelites. He hasn't told us who yet, but I digress. Anyway, my marriage is still stable after all that. Now, do you really think that I would give up two wonderful husbands to take a chance on one who already left me once? Do you think that Seto would give up two women for one he only met today?"

"Honestly, yes. There's something I haven't told you yet. Kisara has been having dreams about Seto ever since she can remember. The moment she laid eyes on him, not on TV but in person, she knew immediately. I'm afraid that destiny is behind this, and Kisara and I were never meant to be together, and that you and Kaiba—both Kaiba brothers—were never meant to be together."

"I'm sorry you see it that way, because I'm sticking by my family no matter what." Serenity finished diapering Patrick and handed him to Tristan. "I suggest you do the same." Serenity held her head up high and walked out of the nursery, leaving Tristan to contemplate the situation alone with his infant son in his arms.


	18. Blue Eyes White Dragon

**Warnings:** Nudity and sensuality (Separate occurrences)

**Music Lover's Alert:** I think you will enjoy "Shut Up and Drive" by Rihanna, especially for the second half of this chapter.

**Chapter 18 Blue Eyes White Dragon**

Clad in warm winter coats, Seto Kaiba, Yugi Moto, Rebecca, Ishizu, and Kisara traversed the frozen ground behind Seto Kaiba's mansion. Even though the sun beamed down on them from high in the sky, the frost nipped at their noses. The duelists walked quickly in order to keep warm.

While they were tramping through the forest on the way to Kaiba's safe house, Ishizu said, "Kisara, you have a special power within you. Did you know that your soul is tied to the Blue Eyes White Dragon?"

Kisara's blue eyes widened. "I knew that Seto had something to do with my destiny, but the Blue Eyes White Dragon?"

"Yes," continued Ishizu, "You have within you the power to transform into this legendary beast, and with your gift we can save thousands of people."

Kisara blinked. "Um… So, how do I do it?"

"You need Kaiba's card in order to accomplish the task. Kaiba, give Kisara one of your Blue Eyes White Dragon cards."

"This better not be one of your cheap tricks, Ishizu," Kaiba warned.

"I assure you that it is not," The Egyptian woman replied with an air of authority. She stopped in her tracks and faced the CEO, giving the rest of the group little choice but to stop as well.

Kaiba grumbled and dug in the pocket of his warm white overcoat for his deck. He took off one of his black gloves and sifted through it, then handed his favorite card to Kisara. She gazed at it in wonder for a moment, and then the transformation began. First, her skin glowed blue and her long white hair retracted into her skull. Her soft blue skin stretched and re-shaped itself gracefully until she towered above the trees. Her clothing restricted her growth until her wings sprouted and sliced off her garments. Claws grew out of her feet and ripped through her winter boots. At last, Kisara's skin hardened into the familiar form of the Blue Eyes White Dragon. The duel monster's card itself had merged with Kisara's skin, and was now embedded in the palm of her extremely large clawed hand.

Kisara looked down at her massive body and tried to speak, but all that came out was a mighty roar. In frustration, she released a small white lightning attack that scorched the frozen ground between Seto and Ishizu. Seto felt the heat, and could not deny Kisara's power.

"Impressive," said Kaiba, "Now how do we change her back?"

"It is a simple matter. Just reach out and touch her," replied Ishizu.

Kaiba did as he was instructed. He reached out to her magnificent clawed hand and watched as the beast returned to her original human form. As she changed, the monster card dropped from the palm of her hand back into Kaiba's. When the transformation was complete, she stood completely naked in front of him, holding his hand and staring into his icy blue eyes that matched her own. The moment did not last long, however.

"Here, Kisara. Take my overcoat. It looks like you need it more than I do," Yugi said as he stepped between the pair. Kisara gratefully accepted Yugi's large, warm white overcoat and then tied the rags that were once her clothes around her feet for added protection from the cold. Without his overcoat, Yugi's black leather pants and tank top made him vulnerable to the frost.

Kaiba quickly realized that Kisara and Yugi's meager clothing would not protect them for long. "Let's hurry up and get to the safe house. I don't want a lawsuit on my hands if either of you freeze to death out here."

The group quickened their pace and headed once more towards the safe house.

"Kisara," Ishizu said, "You must use this new power of yours to rescue the innocent people on board the aircraft tomorrow."

"I will gladly help in any way that I can," Kisara agreed.

Ishizu gazed at the white-haired woman with a sense of urgency. "Spend today practicing your flight. Strength will come easily to you. Precision may be another matter."

Kisara nodded solemnly and took off Yugi's overcoat, then handed it back to him. Although she felt bashful about being naked in front of the group of duelists, she did not see much point in hiding from them when they had already seen her entire body. She then held out her hand to Seto, and he relinquished his precious card to her once again. Without her clothes constricting her, her transformation took place much more smoothly and gracefully. Once in her dragon form, she flapped her massive wings and took flight, soaring above the trees. She awkwardly executed a few loops and maneuvers in the air while the others walked the rest of the way to the safe house.

Seto walked up to the front door of the safe house and pressed a button on the door. A retinal scanner popped out of the door frame and scanned his right eye. Then, a secondary entrance to the safe house opened, revealing a ramp leading downwards and a blue hybrid sports car. Seto and the other duelists walked down the ramp and past the Noelite vehicle. There they found Tam, Joan, and Mokuba utilizing the equipment to the best of their abilities.

"Any updates?" asked Seto.

"Yes. It looks like we have more time than we originally thought. The demolition has been postponed until 3:00pm. However, this also means that there will be more people in the building since everyone will be back from their lunch break," Joan answered.

"That's not good at all," said Rebecca, "We have a way to divert the plane, but no way to evacuate the building, and I have a feeling that the building will go down whether or not a plane hits it."

"A way to divert the plane? What is it?" asked Mokuba.

Seto produced a smug grin. "Take a look outside."

Mokuba, Rebecca, and Joan ran out the entrance to the underground portion of the safe house, which had not yet retracted back into the earth. He gazed up into the sky and saw a majestic Blue Eyes White Dragon circling in the sky and carrying an uprooted tree in her massive claws. She glided down to land, and dropped the tree a few feet from the ground. Then, she picked up the tree again and inspected it for damage. After making note of how many limbs had broken, she took flight with it again and repeated the process.

"Wow Seto, I didn't know you could make a hologram with that much power," Mokuba said as he admired the great dragon.

"I didn't. That's Kisara up there. I don't know how she did it, but it works and that's all that matters right now."

"Let me get this straight," said Joan, "You recruited more people to help us, just like that? How do you know we can trust them?"

Ishizu spoke for herself. Her deep ocean blue eyes glowed with determination. "I was drawn here by my visions. If we are to save the lives of all those innocent people, we must act quickly. Now, I am the only one who can locate the rest of the Noelites. I require assistance from Tam for this task. As for you, Joan, your efforts will best be spent finding a secure place for the Noelites to stay."

Joan glanced back at the safe house. "This place would suit the information team, but there is no room for everyone else. While the Kaiba mansion would have ample space, we would be screwed if the authorities ever dropped by with a search warrant. I'm just not sure where else we could go."

Ishizu closed her eyes and concentrated as her millennium necklace glowed. "I see a small, dark space. It is a place where people come to release their burdens. I see a key passing though a tiny hole in a screen. I hear a familiar voice; familiar to you, yet also recognizable by many others."

"Of course!" Joan gasped, "Why didn't I think of him before?"

"I believe there is a vehicle here," said Ishizu, "Wear a cloak and hide in back. Tam and I will drop you off at your destination, then continue to ours."

While Mokuba went back into the safe house and rummaged through a closet for a suitable cloak, Seto approached Joan with a smirk and a devious light in his icy blue eyes. "You know, that cat's out of the bag."

"Meaning?" asked Joan. Her gold-speckled blue eyes scintillated with confusion at Seto's behavior as she backed away from him. The sports car prevented her from escaping his approach, and she found herself trapped between it and him.

"Meaning that we have no secrets anymore and I can properly wish you good luck." Seto wrapped his arms around her body and smothered her lips with his. She resisted a little at first, but quickly decided that she should just enjoy the moment. Joan moaned slightly and hiked one leg around Seto's hip, bringing their bodies closer together in a sensual embrace. Their tongues slid into each other's mouths, exploring and tasting as if they would never get the opportunity again.

Rebecca, and Yugi, and the Blue Eyes White Dragon glued their eyes to the scene with their mouths agape while Ishizu and Tam calmly went about the business of getting the Noelite vehicle ready to go. Rebecca backed into the safe house and called, "Mokuba, you might want to see this."

Mokuba emerged from the safe house with a cloak in his hand and shrugged. "Sorry. I've seen it before. Besides, Kari was my girlfriend, not Joan, and Kari was an imaginary person from day one."

Rebecca and Yugi blinked and stared some more. Kisara snorted, turned her back, and returned to the task of mastering her skills in precision. When Seto and Joan finally released each other, Mokuba handed Joan the cloak. Joan smiled at Mokuba and gave him her customary kiss on the cheek. Joan then noticed the odd expressions on the faces of Rebecca and Yugi.

"I thought you said the cat was out of the bag," Joan said to Seto.

"It is, but apparently these two nitwits are still trying to comprehend the situation," Seto replied.

"We will trouble ourselves with these matters later," interjected Ishizu, "Let us make haste now."

Ishizu, Tam, and Joan hopped into Noel's sports car. Tam started the motor, and drove the sleek blue vehicle up the ramp and out into the open. They headed straight for the main road, wasting no time. Ishizu navigated while Joan squeezed into the vehicle's tiny back seat and drew the hood of the cloak over her head in case someone spotted and recognized her.

**Closing Note: **Thank You for all the reviews! I just learned about the "Occupy Wall Street" movement. Given that it has been growing for quite some time, I think that means I have not been listening to enough news lately. I am curious to know how many of you have already heard about this movement and how many of you are hearing about it from me for the first time. It strikes me as odd that I am in the middle of writing my prequel to this story, inspired by David Rovics's song "The Best Democracy Money Can Buy," and things are heating up in the real world alongside my fictional world. So, who has heard of the movement?


	19. Confession

**Author's Note: **It looks like I am finally going to take that trip, so here is one last update before I go! This is mainly an OC chapter, but I hope you still enjoy! You are welcome for the warnings, and I will definitely warn you before posting lemons, which are coming soon. I may break up the chapters a bit to keep all the sexual content separate from everything else that you want to read, so if I post a ridiculously short chapter, it means that there will be a lemon in the following chapter probably followed by another ridiculously short chapter. In such cases, I will also warn you at the bottom of the page so you can see it coming :)

**Warnings: **suggestiveness that may offend more conservative Catholics, and probably would have offended me five or ten years ago.

**Disclaimer:** Any resemblances that Father John has to any real priest are merely coincidental. John is a very common Christian name, and chances are that you have met one.

**Music Lover's Alert:** Many churches play a contemplative CD for the people who wait in line for confession. If you are interested in getting into the mood of a genuine Catholic confession, you can listen to my "Ordinary Time" playlist on my You Tube account. However, if you want something more in-keeping with the overall mood of my story, I recommend "Who Would Jesus Bomb" by David Rovics.

**Chapter 19 Confession**

The first stop that Ishizu and the two Noelites made was Our Lady of Faith Catholic Church. Joan climbed out of the car and wrapped her cloak tightly around her. Out in the cold, frosty parking lot of the church, she appeared to be a simple nun trying to keep warm.

"Good luck, sister Joan," Tam called as she and Ishizu drove away.

Joan stuck her hand into her pocket and fingered the St. Joan card that Trevor had given her. It was one of the few personal items that she had retrieved from her room before abandoning Rakitan Industries, and it reminded her of a time when everything was more certain. Now, she was seeking a new safe haven for her people. The card gave her comfort and reassurance as she walked bravely into the church.

Just outside the door of the church stood a sign that said, "Walk-in confessions today." It was an old, worn-out sign, but the message was still loud and clear. In fact, when Joan entered the church, she found an unusually long line of people waiting for the confessional. Joan removed the hood of her cloak out of respect and kept her head low. She took her place at the end of the line and hoped that nobody would recognize her. Thankfully, they were all too absorbed in their own problems to pay any attention to her.

As she waited, Joan wondered why so many people were stepping forward to confess. She suspected that it had something to do with all the panic and fear that the previous day had generated. With death seeming so near to so many people, they did not want to die without some hope of going to heaven.

After an hour of agonizing boredom, Joan finally got her chance to talk to the priest. She entered the confessional and announced her presence by saying the sign of the cross out loud. "In the name of the father and of the son, and of the holy spirit. Amen."

There was an uncertain pause before the priest spoke. "Peace be with you, my child. What is it you wish to confide in me before the Lord our God, who sees all things?"

"John, I need to ask a big favor. Can we skip the formalities this time?"

John's voice grew increasingly more paranoid as he spoke. "I was afraid of this when I first heard your voice, Joan. Are you trying to get me arrested? Do you know what kind of deep… sh… something you are in right now? If this wasn't a sacred place, I would turn you in right now. I can't believe you-"

"-I didn't, John. Just listen to me for a minute. My people are being framed by a company known as Brown Demolitions and who knows how many other world leaders. Our headquarters complex has been compromised. We have nothing now. Our goal is to prevent the next attack, not cause it!"

There was a moment of silence before John replied. The urgency in her voice was strong, but he was still worried about the potential consequences of violating a direct government order. "If what you say is true, I could not live with myself if I denied you aid. I will assist you on one condition. You must complete a proper confession with me."

Joan always knew in her heart that he would help her, but she did not expect him to offer her the sacrament of reconciliation in such a dire moment. "Seriously? You realize there's a huge line out there. Wouldn't I be more of a burden to you?"

"Not at all. Joan, all of those people out there are just paying lip service to the sacrament. They don't take it seriously. Most of them don't even know how to say the Act of Contrition, and most of the things they confess are silly little actions that they obviously intend to do again so that they can avoid telling me what they are really thinking and so that they'll have something to tell me the next time they come."

"Father, I hate to disappoint you, but I can't think of anything worthy of the type of confession you are asking of me."

"Ah! A little honesty! That's what I like. Now, you know what I'm really after. So, let's take it from the top."

Joan smiled behind the screen and wondered if Father John was already getting hard. John liked to consider himself a liberated priest rather than a sinner, and when Joan had first come to him expressing similar sentiment, the two of them had developed a strange routine.

Joan began speaking in her most humble tone. "Bless me Father, for I have sinned. It has been two weeks since my last confession, and I simply cannot bear this burden any longer. You see, I have willfully entertained impure thoughts of a man who is not my husband."

John's voice became gentle and reassuring. "Tell me more about this man and your impure thoughts of him."

Joan closed her eyes and let images of the middle-aged priest float through her mind. "He has dark brown hair, and the most perfect goatee I have ever seen. There is always a twinkle in his eye, and he has an amazing body. I saw him working out at the gym with his lean, powerful abs. I wanted so badly to see the rest of him."

"So, what did you do?"

"I couldn't help myself, Father. I tried to follow him home, but he led me here instead. That's when I knew I would have to confess, or else I would never be able to get him off my mind."

"Child, I believe I can help you. It is no sin to act on your desires if indeed they come from your heart and you have no ill intentions. God gifted all humans with sexuality to celebrate His love for us. You should not be ashamed of this gift. The true sin is your shame, not your feelings."

"But Father, what should I do? I may never see him again, and he will be on my mind forever!" Joan felt a fire of lust building within her as she spoke the words.

There was a slight jingling of keys, and a small, plain, flat key slipped through a broken slot in the screen. The first time they key had passed through this particular slot, it had been nearly impossible, and John had been cursing himself for being so foolish by allowing the key to get stuck. Now that the hole was larger, it slipped through without any trouble at all. Joan accepted it as it penetrated the screen and listened while Father John described for the umpteenth time how to reach his personal residence on the west side of the church. Joan knew this information by heart, but hearing it again lent a feeling of novelty to the experience.

Joan then said the Act of Contrition and Father John absolved her of her sins. Joan was about to leave when John said, "Wait, one more thing."

"Yes, Father?"

"How many people are out there?"

Joan peeked out the door and ducked back inside the confessional. "A lot. You will probably be stuck here for another hour or longer if they keep coming."

Father John let out a heavy sigh. "Great. You know, some of these people aren't even Catholic. I get the feeling that they're just walking in off the street on a whim"

"Would you like me to take down your sign?"

"Absolutely… as long as nobody catches you."

"No worries there. I have everything covered—literally."

Joan slipped out of the confessional and kept her head low. She made her way to the front of the church and pulled the hood of her cloak over her head the instant she stepped outside. She grabbed the sign that said, "Walk-in confessions today," and whisked it under her cloak, taking it with her as she made her way to the west side of the church. She found a small door and unlocked it with the key Father John had given her.

After entering the apartment, Joan set down the sign, breathed a sigh of relief, and dropped her cloak. She then went into the tiny kitchen and made herself a cup of tea. While she waited for Father John to arrive, she picked up his sermon preparation notebook and flipped to the current week. Joan smiled as she read John's notes and picked up a pencil to add a few of her own.

**Closing Note: **I just checked out my local "Occupy" movement. There were only about one hundred people there, but they were obviously there to stay. They had a potluck set up, and I spoke with one of the cute guys there. I think that the movement may have been spread out in small pockets all over the city. Anyway, the whole thing started New York, so that is where you will find the real action.


	20. The Summons

**Author's Note: **Oops! I lied again. I am going to stop talking about my trip because I keep jinxing it. We were all packed and on the road and everything when… well, sometimes vehicles develop problems when they've been sitting around not being used for a year. My whole life is really up in the air right now. I am job-hunting, and it is very difficult to schedule interviews when you have an upcoming trip that keeps getting delayed. So, I'm just going to stop talking about all that and just update whenever I happen to update. Anyway, enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** The Summons was written by John Bell, and the lyrics that appear here belong to him. John Bell is not related to my character Father John. John is simply a very common Christian name.

**Warnings: **Mild violence

**Chapter 20 The Summons**

"Turn left at the next light," Ishizu commanded.

"What are you, some sort of human GPS?" Tam asked as she executed the turn.

"Only on rare occasions can I function this accurately. Drive five hundred meters on this street and then stop."

Tam did as Ishizu suggested. She stopped in front of a cream-colored house with an empty driveway and a pile of unopened newspapers on the lawn. "So, now what?"

"Ring the doorbell."

"Why? There is obviously nobody home."

"Your friends are staying there temporarily."

Tam glanced suspiciously at the black-haired Egyptian woman before getting out of the car. Ishizu stayed seated with her eyes closed and her brow slightly furrowed. Tam made her way up to the front door and pressed a small button surrounded by gaudy metallic frills. Tam heard a chime inside, and then nothing for a long time. After an agonizingly long wait, she turned around and was immediately attacked by a large, dark form.

Before she could yell out in surprise or call for help, she recognized the muscular body pinning her to the ground. She found his weakness quickly, digging her knee into his groin. Pepper bit back tears of pain and worked to keep his prisoner under him, but she gained the upper hand. Before he knew what had happened, he was staring up into the face of his blonde boss.

"Don't tell me that you've betrayed us, too," Tam said harshly.

"No," Pepper panted, "We just thought you were someone else. How did you find us, anyway?"

"I had a subcutaneous transmitter implanted in you when you first joined Noel."

"Really? That's… creepy."

"No, not really, but the truth is weirder," Tam said as she climbed off Pepper and offered him a hand so he could get to his feet. Pepper winced at the throbbing pain in his groin, but otherwise pretended that he did not feel it. As a member of Noel's elite action team, he had a certain amount of pride that could never be shaken by a minor discomfort.

"So, now what?" Pepper asked.

"Is your brother here?"

"He is inside."

"Go get him."

Pepper went inside and summoned Salt. The blond-haired, blue-eyed version of his brother came to the door and asked, "What's the plan?"

"Apparently, we are following some sort of divine guidance. So, just get in the car and we will figure out what to do on the way," Tam answered.

As Tam, Salt, and Pepper stood on the porch of the stranger's house, music drifted across the lawn and reached their ears.

_Will you come and follow me  
>If I but call your name?<br>Will you go where you don't know  
>And never be the same?<br>Will you let my love be shown,  
>Will you let my name be known,<br>Will you let my life be grown  
>In you and you in me?<em>

The source of the song was the blue Noelite getaway car. Ishizu had turned on the radio at just the right moment for the song to start without waiting through any commercials. She sat in the front passenger seat with her eyes closed and her body swaying slightly to the music.

_Will you leave yourself behind  
>If I but call your name?<br>Will you care for cruel and kind  
>And never be the same?<br>Will you risk the hostile stare  
>Should your life attract or scare?<br>Will you let me answer prayer  
>In you and you in me?<em>

Tam, Salt, and Pepper looked at each other dubiously. "OK, let's go," said Pepper. The three Noelites walked away from the house and towards the beaconing music.

_Will you let the blinded see  
>If I but call your name?<br>Will you set the prisoners free  
>And never be the same?<br>Will you kiss the leper clean,  
>And do such as this unseen,<br>And admit to what I mean  
>In you and you in me?<em>

When they reached the car, Ishizu hopped out of the front seat and yielded it to Pepper, who would have been extremely uncomfortable in the tiny back seat with his bulky bodybuilder form. Tam also got in the back seat while Salt, his white heteropaternal twin, took the wheel.

_Will you love the 'you' you hide  
>If I but call your name?<br>Will you quell the fear inside  
>And never be the same?<br>Will you use the faith you've found  
>To reshape the world around,<br>Through my sight and touch and sound  
>In you and you in me?<em>

"Where to?" Salt asked, his fair hair flashing in the sun as he put the vehicle into gear.

"Helicopter rental," Ishizu replied.

"We saw one in town, but they were closed for the holidays," Pepper said.

"Perfect," replied Ishizu, "I am confident in your ability to procure what we need."

_Lord, your summons echoes true  
>When you but call my name.<br>Let me turn and follow you  
>And never be the same.<br>In your company I'll go  
>Where your love and footsteps show.<br>Thus I'll move and live and grow  
>In you and you in me.<em>

Salt shrugged and drove straight towards the helicopter rental facility.

When they arrived, Ishizu got out of the car and beaconed the others to follow her. She walked tall and confidently, but took a path with many twists and turns so she could remain always in the blind spots of the security cameras. Tam, Salt, and Pepper followed closely behind her.

At last, the group came to a door marked "security." Through a tiny window in the door, they could see a single Japanese security guard idly watching the cameras while listening to hip-hop on his mp3 player.

Tam tested the door and found it locked. "OK boys, break it down!"

The burly brothers walked a few meters away from the door. Then, in perfect synchrony they ran towards it. Pepper slammed his shoulder into a spot about half a meter above the doorknob while Salt hit the door between the hinges. With a sickening splintering sound, the door tore away from its hinges and lock, falling inward to reveal a startled security guard.

Before the guard could react, Tam leapt agilely over the fallen door and immediately pinned the guard into a position from which he could not escape.

"Please don't hurt me," the guard pleaded pathetically as he stared up at her fierce amber eyes.

"Don't worry, kid. Just give us a few helicopters and we will let you go on your merry way," Tam assured him.

The guard shook with fear. "Why do you need a helicopter? Wait, I don't like this. You jokers are up to something sinister, aren't you? I bet you're Noelites and you want to destroy another building. Well no thanks. I'll have no part in your-"

Tam rolled her eyes. "Somebody shut him up!"

Salt searched the room for some duct tape and, upon finding it, sealed the guard's still-flapping jaw. Then, Salt and Tam worked together to secure him to his chair.

When they were certain that the guard could not escape, Ishizu picked up a set of keys from a hook on the wall and strode confidently out the empty door frame. The Noelites followed her. Ishizu led them to a small office, opened it, and then proceeded to open the grey metal lockbox inside. There was a huge assortment of keys inside the lockbox, but somehow Ishizu knew which ones to select. She swiftly picked out four keys and gave one each to Tam, Salt, and Pepper. Then, she closed the box and led the Noelites directly to the large transport helicopters.

Tam and the twins had given up questioning Ishizu's intentions and her powers of clairvoyance. They deduced that if the Egyptain woman wished to do them ill, she would have already alerted the authorities to their vulnerable situation.

Ishizu, unlike the highly trained members of Noel's action team, had never before operated an aircraft. Under normal circumstances, she would never be able to get it off the ground. However, the crisis situation heightened her ability to predict future events to such an extent that she was able to manipulate the helicopter's controls as well as any veteran pilot just by looking into the future and seeing what her companions were about to do. She lifted her vehicle smoothly into the air and waited for the Noelites to follow suit.

Back on the ground, Tam and the twins arbitrarily selected helicopters and climbed into them. The Noelites were pleased, but not surprised when their keys turned out to be the correct ones for their machines. They lifted off easily into the air and followed Ishizu.

Ishizu led her miniature squadron away from the town and over vast stretches of forest before hovering above a particular stand of trees. She picked up the short-range radio equipped to her helicopter and said, "Tam, announce our presence and have your people board our helicopters."

Tam located a bullhorn in her aircraft and spoke into it. "Hello and greetings from Noelite Rescue Squad one. We have provided four crafts today for your traveling comfort, so please divide yourselves evenly among the vehicles to ensure that boarding runs smoothly. We have provided ladders for your convenience, so please make sure you have all of you personal belongings tightly secured to your person while boarding."

Tam paused to drop a ladder from her helicopter and watched at the other three pilots did the same. Ishizu's ladder fell easily while Salt and Pepper briefly lost control of their helicopters while they searched for the proper controls. They righted themselves again quickly, and Tam sighed with relief.

As the first Noelites hauled their exhausted bodies up the ladders with heavy backpacks on their shoulders, Tam continued speaking. "Your pilots today are Salt, Pepper, myself, and our new friend Ishizu."

The Noelites loaded themselves onto the aircraft and settled in with their things. Tulip was the last to board, and he settled himself beside Tam. Unlike the more squeamish Noelites, Tulip had partaken in the vole feast and had enough energy to converse. "Where are we going and what is the plan?" he asked.

"You'll want to ask Ishizu about that. She has some sort of divine insight about how we are going to get out of this mess," Tam replied.

"OK, so just tell me what has happened so far."

"You want _me_ to tell _you_?" Tam laughed, "This is a first, but then again I can see how you might be lost without your precious internet. Sit tight; it's a long, weird story."

Tam began to tell Tulip about the events of the day while she followed Ishizu's helicopter back to Domino.


	21. Scuffle

**Author's Note:** The prequel will be rated T instead of M, and in this chapter you will find out why!

**Warnings: **Mild violence, nudity.

**Chapter 21 Scuffle**

After a long day of vigilantly monitoring the equipment in Seto's safe house, Seto, Mokuba, Yugi, and Kisara returned to the Kaiba mansion. Rebecca stayed at the safe house to keep an ear out for any unexpected developments and await the return of Ishizu with Noel's information team.

Seto, Mokuba, and Yugi approached on foot while Kisara flew up to the back door of the mansion. Tristan and spotted the great dragon from the nursery window and ran down to investigate, leaving his red-haired son in Sarah's crib.

Tristan arrived downstairs just in time to see his completely naked wife holding Seto Kaiba's hand at the conclusion of her transformation. Her small, pink nipples stood erect against the cold, and Seto made no secret of his admiration of them. His icy blue eyes seemed to make them stand out more than usual against the frosty air.

The moment his brain comprehended the sight before him, Tristan let out an animalistic scream of rage. Yugi quickly threw his overcoat over Kisara, but it was too late. Seto smirked when he saw the brutish look in Tristan's simple brown eyes. Tristan yelled again and came at Seto with his fists swinging. Although Tristan had more muscle than Seto, Mokuba stepped into the fray to protect his brother. The three men struggled viciously for dominance while Kisara and Yugi looked on helplessly in dismay. It all happened so fast, and they were at a loss for words.

Serenity and her children heard the scuffle even though they were upstairs. Serenity hugged her children, urged them to stay put, and punched the security alert button on the intercom before running downstairs. A horrific scene greeted her there. The three men she treasured most in the world (not including her brother) were tangled up in a pile of straining muscles and dark hair on the snowy ground of the back porch, digging their teeth and nails into each other.

Brian, one of the household security guards, dashed out to break up the fight. He was Amanda's wife's boyfriend, and very familiar with the family dynamics of the Kaiba household. With his sturdy build and harsh green eyes, he typically found that intruders were too intimidated by him to challenge him. However, all three men were so absorbed in their fight that they did not notice his arrival. Brian singled out Tristan as the intruder and grabbed him by the back of his shirt. He yanked Tristan out of the melee and hauled him away from the Kaiba brothers. The Kaiba brothers got to their feet and dusted the ice out of their hair.

Once Serenity saw that nobody was mortally wounded, her anger flared. "Boys! Explain yourselves!"

Mokuba, who came out of the battle with the least damage, said defiantly, "Tristan started it!"

"Is this true?" Serenity asked.

Yugi nodded. Kisara shuddered.

"No way, Serenity," Tristan protested, "Seto started this whole thing by attacking your honor and Kisara's. He's a low-life, Serenity! Stay away from him!"

Seto smirked while blood dribbled freely from his nose. "I get it now. This is one of your childish games about 'justice' and 'fairness.' Well, if it makes you feel any better, you can see _my_ wife naked. Oh that's right, you already did in high school!"

Tristan went beet red, camouflaging the fingernail marks on his neck. He struggled against Brian's firm grip as he cried in outrage, "I did no such thing! I was saving myself for marriage!"

"So, you didn't want her to find out that you had a small dick until it was too late?" Seto taunted.

"Seto," Serenity said softly, "That's exactly what _you_ did."

A deadly silence fell over the room broken only by the labored breathing of the injured men who were still recovering from their altercation. At last, Kisara said in the same soft tone as Serenity, "Yes, Tristan probably waited for that reason, too."

Serenity turned her attention towards the trembling girl with silky white hair. One would never know from looking at her that she could soar the skies as the mighty Blue Eyes White Dragon. "What exactly happened out there?" Serenity wondered.

Yugi explained in as few words as possible how Kisara's new-found magical power could save thousands of lives.

"That's the best news I've heard all day," Serenity said wearily, "Kisara, let's go upstairs and get you something more appropriate to wear. Seto, go get yourself cleaned up and then go check on the children. The rest of you, use the first aid kit in the kitchen and call me if you think you have anything serious."

Serenity gently wrapped her arm around Kisara and led her away from the hostile group of males. Seto grumbled a little, but followed Serenity's orders and headed towards the nearest washroom to clean the blood off his face.

**Chapter 22 Holy Spirit (Non-Lemon portion)**

Father John walked into his living room to find Joan examining his notebook with a pencil in her hand. John smiled, walked up behind her, and looked over her shoulder. "It looks like you re-wrote it completely this time," he commented.

"Yes," replied Joan, "You were focusing too much on the mushy Holy Family stuff and not nearly enough on Herod. Given the present situation, I would use Matthew 2 as an opportunity to remind people not to put too much faith in their government."

"Given the present situation, I don't think I can risk it. Joan, you're an outlaw. Patriotism has never been higher than it is right now. If I spoke a single word against the government, I would be arrested, or at the very least booed off the alter."

"Just think about it, that's all. I'm not asking you to publicly announce your support for Noel. Just subtly urge the congregation to ask questions and think for themselves."

**Closing Note:** I have tagged the first part of the lemon chapter onto the end of this chapter just because it has some relevance later. Thus, you can skip the next chapter entirely without worrying about missing anything to do with the plot.

**Don't Forget to Review!**

By clicking "next" I certify that I am of legal age to view erotic content in my locality. I understand that if I am not of legal age, I should go up to the top of this page and use the drop-down menu to skip ahead to chapter 23.


	22. Holy Spirit LEMON

**Author's Note:** For those of you who are not literate in fan fiction terminology, a lemon is a euphemism for erotic content or a sex scene. This one is an OC lemon. I have two more Yu-Gi-Oh! lemons planned for this story, so consider this a warm-up. This chapter begins exactly where the previous chapter left off.

**Warnings:** big, fat, juicy lemon. Turn back now and wait for the next chapter if you are not supposed to read this. I say this mainly for legal purposes. It is my personal belief that violence should be censored more than sex, but I don't make the laws. I just vote on a few of the people who make them, and obviously my vote is not big enough to turn the tables.

**Chapter 22 Holy Spirit LEMON**

John nuzzled Joan's cheek affectionately. His soft, black goatee brushed against her skin. "If I think I can get away with it, I'll do it. Anyway, I'll have a look at your suggestions later. I've been hearing lame confessions all day and I need to cut loose for a while." The priest's voice was absolutely dripping with desire, and the sensation of his hot breath on her neck kindled a fire within Joan. John's hands slipped from her shoulders to her breasts through the neck of her sweater. He cupped them both and squeezed gently. Joan moaned softly and dropped the pencil from her hand as she squirmed in the chair.

"Whisk me away to heaven, John!"

John withdrew his hands from her breasts and walked around to the side of the chair. Just as she requested, he lifted her out of the chair and carried her bridal-style to the bedroom.

Like everything in the priest's apartment, his bedroom was very simple. It was furnished with a single narrow bed and a dresser. On top of the dresser was an assortment of trinkets and figurines of saints that his family had given him over the years. A prayer candle hung near the window, and after John set Joan down on the bed, he lit it. The romantic flicker danced over the saints when John drew the window blinds shut, and the glass trinkets threw intricate patterns on the walls.

Joan pulled a condom out of her pocket and set it on the dresser so it would be handy. Then, she tugged on the dangling cord of John's Franciscan habit to pull him closer. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Joan loosened the cord and let it drop to the floor. John pulled his habit over his head and tossed it aside, revealing a set of heavy winter clothes.

John and Joan peeled layer after layer off each other until they were finally down to nothing. Joan grabbed John's hips and pulled him against her body. His stiff manhood pressed between her massive mammaries while it twitched and throbbed, just aching to be stimulated. With her hands, Joan pressed her breasts together around his cock and tickled the head of it with her tongue. John ran his fingers through her hair as she pleasured him and stifled his moans of arousal so that nobody inside the church or the neighboring buildings would hear.

When she sensed that he was nearing climax, Joan looked up at him with a devious glint in her eyes. "Fill me with the Holy Spirit, Father!"

John looked down at her with a patronizing expressing in his soft brown eyes. "Are you sure this is what you want, my child? Encounters with the Holy Spirit can be dangerous."

"I have fully considered the risks, and I am ready to undertake the journey," Joan replied solemnly.

"Very well. Kneel and you will feel it enter you."

Joan released John's cock and repositioned herself on the bed. In a modified doggy-style position, she knelt and braced her hands against the steel rail on the head of the bed. John picked up the condom that Joan had laid out for him and donned it carefully after inspecting it for defects. Although he indulged in certain risks, he considered himself a cautious and responsible man.

Joan's warm, inviting womanhood looked before him on the bed. John extended two fingers towards it and slowly traced its outline, savoring its familiar shape and the reactions she made when he touched certain parts of it. Gradually, his fingers became coated with her slippery fluid and her scent wafted towards him. John withdrew his fingers and put them to his nose to get a better sense of it.

Satisfied that everything was right, John mounted his Noelite lover and pushed the gift that God had given him deep inside her. Joan gasped in a brief moment of pain as she stretched accommodate his enormous erection. Although she had lost her virgin barrier years ago, John's twenty two centimeters were still a challenge to her.

John chucked and said, "It's not too late to back out."

"I'm seeing this through to the end," Joan insisted, "Hit me with everything you've got!"

John backed off a little and then thrust again, penetrating her deeply. He then grabbed her hips roughly and repeated the process with an almost divine force, causing Joan to bite back a cry of rapture that would have certainly alerted someone of her presence if it had been released at full volume. The priest picked up the pace and settled into a fast rhythm. His testicles slapped against Joan's clitoris, intensifying her pleasure tenfold.

John shuddered as he came, then withdrew from her quickly so she could work on finishing herself. John lit some incense to cover up the incriminating scents that were already filling the room, and then sat down to watch Joan ash he enjoyed the pleasant tingling that sill coursed through his body.

Joan leaned against a pillow and used both hands to massage her sacred zone. Although she was working herself over with incredible speed, she seemed to be getting nowhere. John met her eyes and saw the deep-seated need that was present in her soul. Moved with compassion, he slid his body up against hers and embraced her in a secure grip that expressed more than words ever could. He brushed his lips against her jaw and left a trail of kisses down her neck and to her left nipple. He sucked and teased it, sending an explosion of sensations through her body. At last, she found the ultimate release and her fluids gushed forth, spewing all over the sheets.

John held her for a few minutes, letting her recover. Then, he abruptly stood up, removed his condom, and wiped himself clean with the underwear that Joan had removed from him earlier. He then donned a fresh set of clothing.

"Let me guess: Laundry time," Joan said as she slid off the bed.

"Yes, the sooner I get everything washed, the fewer stains."

**Closing Note**: The rest of this chapter will begin exactly where it left off!

**Call for Reviews:** Since modern social conventions dictate that sex is something that we should not discuss openly, I welcome anonymous reviews. I have two more lemons to go, and I am interested in constructive criticism that will be useful to me in the editing process. The prequel will not contain lemons (just one highly suggestive lime for Joey and Mai,) so I will not get another chance to improve my lemons for quite some time. Keep in mind that this is pure fantasy. Although I have actually lived out several of my own fantasies, the fantasies expressed in this story are 100% fictional. OK, maybe more like 80% fictional, but I'm not going to tell which parts are fictional and which parts are factual.


	23. A Fair Trade

**Author's Note:** I decided to post this as quickly as possible.

**Chapter 22 Holy Spirit (Post-lemon conclusion)**

Joan sighed and helped him remove the linens from the bed. Showering was a secondary priority for John, as he could easily explain the sweaty odors by saying that he had just returned from the gym. While John carried the laundry out of the room, Joan opened the window and lit more incense.

The washing machine and dryer were located in the church basement, so John had to walk around the outside of the building to reach it. They were oversized machines, good for washing priestly vestments, tablecloths, and other things that the church used regularly. John loaded everything and started the washer.

On his way back to his apartment, swirling gusts of wind ruffled the edges of John's Franciscan habit. Four helicopters landed in the church parking lot, and a tall, proud Egyptian woman with long black hair stepped out of one of them. She headed straight toward Father John, followed by several other people. Most of them appeared tired, hungry, and filthy. Father John stood frozen in place as the mob approached him.

"Father John, you have agreed to give these people shelter in the basement of your church. On behalf of them and the rest of the world, I give you thanks," Ishizu said.

The priest stood speechless for a moment and then said, "Uh, yeah. So, if anyone asks, you're just homeless people, not… you know…"

"I assure you that no one will discover that you are harboring Noelites," Ishizu replied.

"Good. Thanks. Um, let's get everyone inside before someone sees you." Ishizu nodded and Father John led the Noelites into the church basement. He showed them around the place and gave them permission to use the laundry machines when his load was finished. "I assume you'll be supplying your own food?" John asked.

"You need not worry about the Noelites any longer. They are a resourceful people. Now, may I please speak with Joan?" Ishizu asked.

As if on cue, the basement door opened and a cloaked figure descended the stairs. As soon as she reached the bottom, she removed the cloak and showed her face. Immediately, she was tackled by Trevor and three other men who expressed their great joy to see her safe again by showering her with kisses and hugs. Joan had seen the helicopters arrive from the window of John's apartment, and was eager to be re-united with her people. She returned the affection of her boyfriends with equal enthusiasm, splitting it as evenly as possible among them.

As John watched his only lover get smothered by other men, he said softly, "She wasn't kidding, was she?"

Tam, who was standing close enough to John to hear him, draped an arm around the priest's shoulder and said, "No, she wasn't kidding. You are every bit at cute as she said you were. So tell me, do I have a chance at an encounter with the legendary Holy Spirit?"

John's body went rigid under Tam's arm. "What exactly did she tell you?" John whispered.

"Relax," Tam said, "You don't need to keep any secrets from us. Besides, I think I'm the only person she told. Otherwise, every female here and probably a few of the guys would be all over you right now."

John thought for a few moments. He felt as if the past two days had turned his life upside-down and inside-out. First, the only woman he loved showed up to attend Christmas Day mass accompanied by one of the richest, most powerful men in the world and his family. Then, she was publicly accused of orchestrating the death of six hundred people less than half a kilometer from his church. Two hours ago, she appeared in his confessional insisting that she was innocent and begging for his help. Less than one hour ago, they had made love and he felt as if he had touched the edge of heaven. Now, he was watching her revel in the comfort of her other lovers. He always knew that she had others, but never thought much of it until now. If he had seen only one of them with her, he might have felt deeply upset and unworthy as if he was just a temporary plaything of hers that would be quickly discarded in favor of another. However, the loyalty and intimacy she displayed to all four of the men who now lavished their affections on her assured him that he would not easily be forgotten. He smiled and extended his arm around the waist of the girl whose arm embraced his shoulder. "What is your name, dear friend of Joan?"

"They call me The Taminator, or Tam for short," the athletic blonde answered.

"Well Tam, perhaps you and I will get along well. Go easy on me, though. I still find this situation a little… daunting."

"No worries, Father," Tam replied.

When Joan finally disentangled herself from the four men, Ishizu approached her and bowed. "Lady Joan, with your permission I will take the information team back to Kaiba's safe house and return the helicopters to the place where they belong before our location is discovered."

"Yes, by all means," Joan replied, "We need to get ourselves operational again ASAP. Tulip, contact us as soon as you get settled. The Kaiba Corp. holographic transmitter should provide us with a secure line of communication, right?"

"Correct," Tulip answered, "How many transmitters do we have here?"

Before the Noelites could go through their things and tally up the total, Ishizu said, "Sixteen."

"OK, that's just creepy," Tulip said, "How can she possibly know that and why do we have so many?"

Ishizu reached into her pocket and pulled out a handful of tiny devices designed to fit behind a person's ear. "I knew that you would have need of these, so when I discovered a stash of them in Seto Kaiba's safe house, I brought them along. I did not know what they were at the time; only that you would have need of them."

"Great! Our mysterious savior is a kleptomaniac!" The head of the information team groaned.

Ishizu looked offended. "I am not helping you out of choice. It is simply my destiny."

Tulip was about to respond again when Joan stopped him. "Enough! Her insights have been valid so far, and she has given us no reason not to trust her. Now, we only have until 3:00pm tomorrow to develop, prepare, and execute our plan. We can't afford to waste any time arguing. Now go!"

Tulip sighed and marched out of the basement with his team to load them into the waiting helicopters. Tam released Father John and selected four members of the action team to pilot the helicopters. Since she knew they would be making a one-way trip back to the helicopter rental facility where they would probably be arrested, she selected them carefully and gave everyone a chance to opt out of the mission. However, they all accepted the task with dignity and said their good-byes to their friends and lovers.

**Chapter 23 A Fair Trade**

**Warnings: **suggestive themes

**Music Lover's Alert: **For those of you who like to listen to music while you read, I recommend "Miracle" by Cascada.

Back at the Kaiba Mansion, Serenity guided Kisara to her walk-in closet. "Pick whatever you like," she said, "Everything will adjust to fit you."

Kisara stared at the wide range of white outfits on hangers before her. "Serenity, why are you being so nice to me? I mean, I don't exactly deserve it, especially given how Tristan and I butted into your life like this."

"Nonsense," Serenity replied sincerely, "I like playing dress-up with my husband's girlfriends." The statement could not have been truer. Serenity had helped Joan choose an outfit on her first date with Seto.

Kisara blushed. "I didn't mean to… It's just that… It's not like that!"

"Stop pretending, Kisara. Let's be honest with each other. The thing is that I don't mind seeing you and Seto together. The only thing that upset me about that situation was not knowing in advance. That, and your husband expecting me to leave Seto on the spot… and attacking him. Look, Tristan is a good man and I loved him once. I still do in a way, but I would never be with him at the cost of losing Seto and Mokuba. Am I making any sense to you?"

Kisara froze and nodded slowly. Then, she turned and started examining her clothing options. Yugi's down overcoat had made her hot in the warm house and the closet made her feel claustrophobic despite its ample size. "Serenity, do you ever get the feeling that your whole life is wrong, that you were really destined to be with Tristan I was destined to be… to be with…" Kisara choked back tears as she tried to say Seto's name.

Serenity took pity on the girl and wrapped her arms around Kisara ash she cried. Her light auburn hair swept over Kisara's white hair as she enfolded the American girl in her embrace. "There, there. You can still be with Seto. Just don't forget that he's mine, too. Let's work out some sort of deal. If you and Tristan move to Japan, we can trade husbands once per week, or make up another arrangement. Just stay positive and we can get through this."

Kisara sniffled, and her moist blue eyes shined up at Serenity. "Do you really think that Tristan would go for that?"

"Probably not at first, but I think we can talk him into it. Hey! I just got an idea!" Serenity quickened her voice and explained her plan to Kisara in a low, excited whisper. Even though the master bedroom and its closet were completely soundproof, Serenity's indoctrinated sense of decency demanded that she keep her volume low, at least until the plan was approved by her conspirer.

Kisara's sharp blue eyes widened when she heard the plan. She had never done something that wild before, but strangely she felt that she could muster the courage to do it. "It might work, but what about Seto and Mokuba? Would they really play along?"

"I'll have to take them aside and tell them what we are doing first, but I think they'll be fine with it. Um, are you and Tristan… clean?"

"What?"

"Never mind. We'll use the holographic projectors so we won't need to worry about that."

"Why?"

"They work better than condoms," Serenity said with a sheepish smile.

"Oh. Good plan. Tristan doesn't know how to use one, and I don't think they make them small enough."

Serenity grinned, "Same problem with Seto."

"And Mokuba?"

"They probably make one small enough for Mokuba."

"That might be a problem for Tristan's ego."

"Hmm. Yeah, I'll ask Mokuba to leave the room, but I think he'll want to watch over the security cameras. Wait, I almost forgot! Someone needs to watch the children!"

As the women continued to flesh out their plan, they selected nearly identical strapless evening gowns and hip-hugging panties. The dresses both had built-in bras, so none were required. Serenity changed her gown to pink while Kisara changed hers to light blue. The girls giggled in anticipation as they converted themselves into holograms and donned their make-up.

**Call For Reviews:** I am still looking for character names for my prequel. They will be mainly bully characters, so think of someone who mocked you in middle school or high school. Everyone who gets this question right gets to name one of my bully characters: Who will Rebecca find attractive?


	24. Bonobos

**Author's Note:** Looking at the legacy story stats, I see that there are six fewer chapter hits on chapter 22 than there are on chapter 23. So, it is good to know that my warning was heeded. However, I would still like someone to review chapter 22 anonymously so that I can improve the next one… unless all sixteen of the people who read it are virgins. Also, I am a bit curious about the background of my reader base, so don't be shy to drop me an anonymous line.

**Music Lover's Alert: **For those of you who like to listen to music while you read, I recommend "Runaway" by Cascada.

**Warnings:** Not much. Just a general philosophical discussion with some primatology. For those of you who accept the theory of evolution, this should be a treat.

**Chapter 24 Bonobos**

Meanwhile, Yugi, Tristan, and Mokuba were escorted into the kitchen by Brian, who watched Tristan like a hawk. Amanda, the cook, saw the bruises forming on Mokuba's face and ran to aid him. Her plump body jiggled a little as she did so, and her caring brown eyes gazed into his purple ones with concern. "Oh dear! How did this happen?"

"Our visitor forgot his place," said Brian gruffly.

"_I_ forgot _my_ place!" Tristan protested, "What am I supposed to do when my host tries to take advantage of my wife?"

"Um… join in the fun?" Amanda offered.

"Thanks. Next time I'll remember that," Tristan said sarcastically.

Amanda looked at Mokuba and shrugged. "Can't say I didn't try," she said.

"That's actually not a bad idea. Sometimes sex just releases all the tension and makes everything better," said Mokuba.

Yugi laughed nervously as Tristan's dark brown eyes bored into Mokuba and the tension started to build.

Amanda stepped between Tristan and Mokuba. "Hold it, boys! There is way too much testosterone in this room right now. It's going to spoil the soup. You all need to take a deep breath and chill. Speaking of chill, you boys could use some ice packs." Amanda went over to the freezer and pulled out a few squishy blue ice packs. She then herded the men into the dining room and bid them to take a seat. "Now, dinner will be ready soon. Until then, I want you boys to just sit here and cool down. Whatever is going on, I want you to deal with it like men, not baboons. At the very least, act like bonobos." With that, Amanda dropped the ice packs unceremoniously in their laps and left the room.

"What are bonobos?" Tristan wondered, bewildered as he picked one of the ice packs out of his lap and moved it to his elbow. Mokuba also picked up an ice pack and cradled it between his neck and shoulder.

"They're a type of chimpanzee, one of the closest living relatives of Homo sapiens. They are also the only non-human animal that copulates face-to-face instead of doggy style. They are less aggressive and more compassionate than other apes, using sex to resolve their conflicts instead of fighting," Brian replied.

"You know, I really don't like being compared to monkeys," Tristan said.

"Great apes, not monkeys," Mokuba corrected.

Yugi attempted to lighten the conversation. "Hey Tristan, remember that one time when you were stuck inside the body of a robotic monkey?"

"Don't remind me," Tristan groaned.

"I thought that would be a happy memory for you. After all, it brought you closer to Serenity," Yugi said.

Tristan sighed heavily and adjusted one of his ice packs. "Yugi, I just want things to be normal again. I feel like my whole world is falling apart. I should have come to terms with the fact that I would never get Serenity back long ago, and now it looks like I'm going to lose both her and my wife for good."

"Tristan, do you even know why Kisara was naked?" Yugi asked.

"No, but it doesn't really matter now. It looks like I'll be going back to America alone… If it is even safe to travel… I'm such a fool!"

Mokuba rolled his eyes while Yugi said, "Tristan, don't talk that way! Look, Kisara's clothes ripped to shreds when she transformed into the Blue Eyes White Dragon! It wasn't her fault. If anything, it was Ishizu's fault for not warning her about what would happen."

"Seriously?" Tristan asked.

"Seriously," Yugi confirmed.

Just then, Amanda brought several steaming dishes of food into the dining room and set them on the table. Then, she touched a button on the mansion's intercom. Her chin-length brown hair swept over her face as she leaned towards it to speak. "Dinner is served!"

**Closing Note: **If you are old enough, Google "Bonobos play parties" I have never actually been to one of their parties, but I have been to "Barry and Shell's" which I first attended about eight months before I was technically allowed to attend (they do not card.) Unfortunately, Barry passed away recently and the parties have not been the same since then. I would have recommended going there a year ago, but now… I just don't know if Shell can manage it on her own. She is not exactly on her own, since my boyfriend and I witnessed her marry another man at the conclusion of Barry's memorial service (I think that the proper term for this in the Polyamory sphere is "Linear Marriage.") My boyfriend and I have been to two weddings together: My cousin's wedding and Shell's wedding. Um… I'm rambling. Sorry. It's just that thinking of Barry brings to mind so many things, including the song "Where have all the flowers gone." Not specifically, but generally. I just favorited five different versions of that song on my You Tube account. I miss Barry, and I wish I had time to get to know him better.

**Chapter 24.5 Scheming**

**Music Lover's Alert: **For those of you who like to listen to music while you read, I recommend "World of Broken Dreams" by David Rovics… mainly for the middle part of this chapter when Kisara enters the dining room. It is a beautiful, heartfelt love song, and it makes me cry each time I hear it. I also like it because it does not explicitly glorify monogamy like so many other songs that have lines like "only you" etc.

**Warnings: **This is definitely not a lemon, but it may tempt you into reading the next chapter, which is a lemon.

Upstairs, Kisara took Patrick out of the nursery and brought him downstairs to join the dinner table. Tristan had brought a few bottles of baby formula with them, and Kisara wanted to ensure that all of her son's needs were fulfilled before dinner ended. She felt strange holding the red-headed infant that she adopted only yesterday, but he was still her responsibility despite all the strange events of the day.

Serenity found Seto in the play room having a friendly duel with Janet and the new cards she got for Christmas while Sarah drew pictures of the monsters they played with her new oil pastels. It seemed like ages ago when the children had opened their presents early yesterday morning before church.

"Honey, can I speak with you for a few minutes alone?" Serenity asked.

Seto Kaiba activated the save function on his duel disk and said, "All right, girls. Go downstairs for dinner. We will join you shortly."

Janet and Sarah pouted a little, but obeyed their patriarch's request. As soon as the children left, Serenity quickly explained the plan that she had made with Kisara.

When she was finished, Seto said, "Wait, you actually still like that monkey?"

"I'm willing to give him another chance," Serenity replied, "Besides, if we don't give this a try, Kisara and Tristan will go back to America and you'll never see her again."

Seto was intrigued, but not fully convinced. He closed his eyes and tried to visualize the situation. As a member of the geek squad, Tristan was nearly intolerable as a house guest. His wife, on the other hand, was another matter. Her flowing white hair and her icy blue eyes were irresistible, and the fact that she was forbidden fruit made her all the more alluring. Perhaps he could put up with Tristan for her. "So… how am I supposed to keep myself from throwing up while all this is happening?" Seto asked.

"Just pretend that Tristan is Mokuba."

"I suppose that might work," Seto finally agreed.

Serenity linked arms with her husband, and the two of them made their way downstairs to the main dining room.

…

When Tristan saw his wife and son enter the dining room, he was struck speechless. Her make-up was absolutely flawless, and she wore the most elegant strapless dress he had ever seen. Although it was a very simple gown, it hugged her feminine curves and accentuated her gorgeous blue eyes.

Kisara walked up to her husband and kissed him full on the lips. Tristan trembled from the intoxicating pheromones emanating from her body as she drew back and said, "Well darling, shall we dine?"

Tristan nodded and pulled out Kisara's chair for her. Then, he took a seat beside her. Mokuba, Yugi, and Brian watched in awe as the seemingly happy couple settled themselves at the dining table.

The enchanted moment ended when Sarah and Janet charged into the room. "I can't believe it! The King of Games is staying for dinner!" Janet squealed. Janet and Sarah took their seats on either side of Yugi and immediately started bombarding him with questions about his glory days.

When Seto and Serenity entered the room, Yugi was busy telling the tale of how he defeated the Great Leviathan while their children listened attentively. Serenity sat beside Mokuba and whispered something in his ear. Mokuba gave Seto a strange look, but Seto simply nodded silently. Mokuba then whispered something back to Serenity. Serenity sighed and looked at him with pleading eyes. Finally, Mokuba sighed and nodded. Serenity sealed her agreement with Mokuba by giving him a small kiss.

Luckily, the children and the dinner guests were too wrapped up in Yugi's story to pay any attention to the secretive interchange of words between Serenity and the Kaiba brothers. Yugi managed to provide enough entertainment to keep dinner pleasant throughout its duration, and by the time it was over, everyone was looking thoroughly relaxed.

"Yugi, I think we should take some food back to the safe house for Rebecca and Ishizu and anyone else who happens to be there. Don't you agree?" Mokuba suggested.

"Yes, that's an excellent idea," Yugi agreed.

Mokuba was about to ask the children to come along when they spontaneously volunteered. Mokuba beamed at them as they grabbed dishes of leftover food off the table and took them to the kitchen to be packaged for transport. While they were doing this, Mokuba took Brian aside and spoke softly with him. Brian, who had not taken his eyes off Tristan through the whole meal, grumbled and left the room to return to his regular post.

When Yugi, Mokuba, and the children were ready to leave Kisara said, "Mokuba, could you do me a favor and take Patrick up to the nursery on your way out? He's looking really sleepy."

"Sure thing," Mokuba said as he took the baby from her arms. Mokuba glanced back at the room as he walked out the door. "Um… have fun!"

**Closing Note:** The "Occupy Wall Street" movement just came to my town. There were five tents in the park. When I spoke of the one hundred people in the city, I was talking about the nearest large city. I have not been back to the city lately to see if the movement has grown there. However, it is certainly taking root in my town! If I keep getting stonewalled in my job search, I will probably join them. Seriously, it should not be this hard for a college graduate to find a job. Also, David Rovics just released a new song for the movement.

I am planning to write a one-shot on Christmas morning before the Kaibas went to church and everything fell apart. However, I have so much other stuff to do that it will take some time for me to do it. In the meantime, I just uploaded the song for my other Kaiba one-shot on You Tube. So, if you did not get around to finding it on soundclick, it should be easier for you to access now… enjoy!

The next chapter is a lemon. I assure you that it is not necessary to read the lemon, and I will provide a non-explicit summary for you in chapter 26 to cover the missing plot elements.

By clicking "next" I certify that I am of legal age to view erotic content in my locality. I understand that if I am not of legal age, I should go up to the top of this page and use the drop-down menu to skip ahead to chapter 26.


	25. MEGA LEMON

**Author's Note:** I really wanted someone to review the previous lemon, but I guess that never happened. So, I did the best I could with editing this on my own.

**Music Lover's Alert: **If you like listening to music while you read, I recommend "Rude Boy" by Rihanna or "Bad Boy" by Cascada, depending on which artist you like better.

**Warnings:** This lemon is more intense than the previous one, so if you felt uncomfortable reading the previous one, close the window now and wait for chapter 26. I once had a professor who gave us a short story by Marquis de Sade. Then, when the students complained about it, she asked them why they did not put it down when things got nasty because she did not technically assign us to read it. Well, this is nowhere near that bad. Just remember that you can always stop.

**Chapter 25 MEGA LEMON**

The dining room was now completely empty except for the two couples seated at opposite ends of the huge dining table. Tristan cleared his throat. "Um, I think that maybe I should apologize."

Serenity stood up and slowly started walking towards Tristan. She swung her hips seductively as she approached him. "Why should you apologize for being so sexy? Seto never apologizes for being sexy, only for being a bad boy. Have you been a bad boy?"

As Serenity spoke, Kisara caressed Tristan's ear with her tongue. Tristan's brown eyes involuntarily rolled back into his head as he experienced her sensual touch. Vaguely comprehending that Serenity has asked him a question, he said, "Yeah, I uh… hey, what's going on here?"

Serenity was now standing directly in front of Tristan. She placed a delicate high-heeled sandal on the cushion of Tristan's chair in the space between his legs. "We just wanted to give you the chance to make it up to us, that's all." Serenity tossed her head, and her long auburn hair swept around her face, tickling Tristan's arm before it settled back into place. A chill ran down Tristan's spine, and he stared into her mesmerizing green eyes while his wife teased the sensitive nerves of his face by trailing her tongue along his jaw line. Serenity slowly lifted the hem of her evening gown to reveal a smooth, shapely leg. On her thigh, there was a black leather holster. Before Tristan comprehended what was happening, Serenity whipped a pair of handcuffs out of the holster and secured Tristan's hands behind the back of the chair.

Tristan yelled and Seto chuckled. "Relax, monkey. My wife won't bite… unless you're into that sort of thing," Seto said smugly.

"What the hell is this?" Tristan demanded.

"Dessert," Kisara replied before smothering his mouth in an intensely powerful kiss.

Seto enjoyed watching the scene more than he thought he would. As Tristan squirmed in desperate confusion, Serenity unbuttoned his shirt and slid it off his chest. Serenity then ran the tips of her fingers over his well-muscled torso and tiny brown nipples, sending shivers down his spine. Tristan gradually gave into the helplessness of his situation and started to enjoy himself. After all, this was something he thought could only happen in his wildest dreams.

When Seto saw Tristan relax, he got up out of his chair and stretched casually. Then, he sidled up behind Serenity and undid the zipper of her evening gown. It slid off her body and fell to the floor, leaving her wearing nothing but high heels, a pair of pink panties, and her black leather holster. Tristan's eyes bulged when he saw Serenity's perky, pale pink nipples appear. He ached to touch them, but Seto already had his hands around them.

Seto saw the look in Tristan's eyes and laughed. "Tempting, aren't they? I'll tell you what. If you're a good monkey, maybe she'll let you feel them."

"Seto, let me do the talking," Serenity said.

"Or else what?" Seto taunted.

"Or else I'll have to restrain you."

"And let monkey-boy go? I only see one pair of handcuffs, dear."

"Kisara, a little help?" Serenity asked.

Kisara broke her kiss with Tristan and lifted up the hem of her light blue gown to reveal a second handcuff holster. A mixture of delight and feigned distress crossed Seto's handsome face as Kisara wielded the handcuffs. Seto struggled half-heartedly while the women secured him to a chair. When they finished, Seto tried to speak again, but Serenity whipped off one of Seto's many belts and used it to gag him. "Much better," Serenity said as she stood back and admired her handiwork.

A devious light gleamed in Kisara's shimmering blue eyes. "Can we look now?"

"Yes, I think now would be a good time," Serenity replied.

Tristan squirmed. "Look? Look at what?" Serenity approached Tristan and slowly unbuckled his belt while Kisara did the same to Seto. "Serenity, stop! Kisara, no! Please don't do this!"

It was too late. Seto's hard little dick and Tristan's limp one flopped into view as their trousers fell to their ankles. Kisara took Seto's tiny dick in her hand and examined it while he let out a muffled moan from the pleasure of her touch. "I think you win, Serenity. Your husband's dick is definitely smaller."

Seto let out an indignant vocalization through the belt.

Serenity attempted to excite Tristan's flaccid manhood by massaging it. "Are you sure? I can't tell over here. I think your husband has performance anxiety, or maybe even erectile dysfunction!"

"I don't have either!" Tristan protested.

"Oh yeah? I'm _waiting_," Serenity said as she held his dick up between her thumb and forefinger and let it fall back into his lap.

Kisara let go of Seto's penis and stood. "You know, Serenity, I'm starting to think that these boys aren't worth the trouble."

Serenity released Tristan's dick and stood also. "I think you're right, Kisara. We can have much more fun without them."

With one hand, Serenity wiped the remaining dinner plates off the table and onto the floor. The fine china shattered into a thousand tiny pieces, and the sound of it made the men jump in fright. Then, Serenity got behind Kisara and unzipped her dress, letting it fall to the floor. Kisara pivoted to face Serenity and kissed her mouth slowly and sensuously. The women ran their hands over each other's breasts and bodies, caressing and fondling.

Now that the pressure was off Tristan, he started to harden. "Hey! What about me? Are you two just going to ignore me now?"

In response to Tristan's inquiry, the women simply moaned and intensified their contact with each other. Serenity pushed Kisara backwards until she was leaning against the dining table. With a little hop, Kisara set her rear end on the table. Serenity then pulled off Kisara's panties, leaving her blossoming orchid exposed to both men. Serenity knelt down and delicately tasted the petals. Kisara squirmed as amazing sensations shot through her body. Her full breasts wiggled in front of the men, making them go wild.

"Kisara, please get over here! I want you so bad right now," Tristan begged, desperation edging his voice.

Between gasps of pleasure, Kisara replied, "I… had… something else… in mind. Oh! Oh yes!" Kisara gazed lustfully at Seto while Serenity increased the force of her tongue.

"Please, honey! I'm getting blue balls over here!"

"You… Oh!... let me… fuck Seto… and Serenity will… do… you."

"Kisara, I don't want to lose you to him! I love you!"

"Don't… worry… You'll get… me back… You have a… bigger… cock."

"What does Kaiba have that I don't have?"

"He has… what Serenity has… that I… don't have."

Tristan pondered her words for a few moments while his cock throbbed and then said, "Aw fuck, just go for it!"

Serenity licked Kisara a few more times and then backed away. The women smiled at each other briefly, knowing that they had won. Then, they turned their attention towards the men. Kisara hopped off the table while Serenity removed her panties. Serenity and Kisara straddled each other's husbands at the same moment, hugging their little dicks with their tight holographically generated vaginas. They gripped the shoulders of the men for leverage as they moved their radiant bodies up and down. Their breasts bounced as they achieved a steady rhythm. Serenity and Kisara both screamed with pleasure from the excitement of being with their new lovers, their voices harmonizing in a soprano duet.

The erotic melody sent Tristan over the edge, and he could not contain his excitement any longer. As soon as Serenity felt his hot fluid gush into her, she yelled, "Seto, you have permission to cum now!" If Tristan though her words strange, he did not comment on them. Instead, he simply enjoyed his moment of absolute bliss. Serenity kissed Tristan on the forehead and dismounted. About a minute later, Kisara followed suit.

The women released the men from their bonds and they promptly collapsed onto the floor while they recovered from their ecstasy. They breathed heavily in speechless wonder as their own wives traded places to lie beside them

"Serenity, was that real, or was my mind playing tricks on me?" Seto asked.

"Yes dear, that was real," Serenity replied.

"Can we do it again… maybe with Joan next time?"

"I'll ask her and see if she is interested," Serenity said.

"Serenity, I love you," Seto said.

"I love you, too," Serenity replied.

Tristan and Kisara lay in silence listening to the beat of each other's hearts while Seto and Serenity exchanged words of love. Peace descended over them like a warm blanket, and for several minutes they dozed off into a light sleep. The ringtone of Tristan's cell-phone roused them, and Tristan fumbled with the pair of trousers that were still around his ankles to find it. Tristan nearly had a heart attack when he saw who was calling him, and he tossed the phone to Kisara in his panic instead of answering.

**Closing Note: **I could tell you a lot about how my own experiences influenced this scene, but I don't want to ramble. Let's just say that there is usually a lot less drama because everyone has talked about it beforehand. Please review! Anonymous reviews are absolutely accepted, especially for lemon chapters.


	26. Goodnight

**Author's Note: **Thank You for the reviews! SheRese: I am glad that you appreciate the songs. I can't think of a good song for this one, but there will be more in the future. There is a song titled "Goodnight" favorited on my You Tube account, but it doesn't quite fit the mood beyond the first paragraph. Biskittins: I'm glad you liked the action. The drama is not quite over yet, but Tristan's conflict is pretty much settled now. Fire Ice and snowcones: Where did you go? I miss your reviews!

**Summary from previous chapter:** Serenity and Kisara took charge and handcuffed their husbands to their chairs. Then, they gagged Seto (because he was taunting Tristan too much) and teased Tristan until he finally capitulated and agreed to the swap. Then, they had some fun and traded back to their original life partners.

**Warnings: **Nudity implied

**Chapter 26 Goodnight**

Tristan and Kisara lay in silence listening to the beat of each other's hearts while Seto and Serenity exchanged words of love. Peace descended over them like a warm blanket, and for several minutes they dozed off into a light sleep. The ringtone of Tristan's cell-phone roused them, and Tristan fumbled with the pair of trousers that were still around his ankles to find it. Tristan nearly had a heart attack when he saw who was calling him, and he tossed the phone to Kisara in his panic instead of answering.

Kisara looked at the number and felt panic flood her heart as well, but unlike Tristan she faced her fears. She answered the phone. "Hi Agatha!"

…short pause…

"No, we stayed for dinner at the Kaiba place."

…long pause…

"Sorry we forgot to tell you. They only invited us, and I did not think it would be right to impose."

…medium pause…

" Um, yeah. That would be nice"

…short pause…

"OK, we'll be home soon."

Kisara hung up the phone and stared at the Kaibas. Her face was as white as a sheet.

"What happened?" Tristan asked shakily.

"Your mom just invited the Kaibas to dinner next week, and I think she expects to be invited over here in the future," Kisara uttered ashenly.

Serenity, Tristan, and Seto all paled to Kisara's present shade when they heard her words. The last thing they needed was Tristan's pious mother sticking her nose into their affairs.

After the initial shock dissipated, Serenity was the first to speak. "We'll work around this somehow. For now, let's just sleep on it and talk more later."

Kisara and Tristan nodded, and then Seto spoke. "Kisara, Noel needs your assistance tomorrow. Be at the safe house at 9:00 sharp tomorrow morning."

Serenity poked Seto in the ribs. "Ask nicely, dear. She's not one of your employees."

Kisara blushed and said, "I do not mind. I know that if I do not help, hundreds of people will die and I cannot live with their blood on my hands. I will see you tomorrow as you requested, Seto."

The four of them stood and dressed in no particular hurry. Although they knew that tomorrow would be filled with turmoil, they wanted to savor the good things that had happened that day as long as possible. The women exchanged parting hugs and kisses with the men. Then, they de-activated their holograms. They were instantly transported upstairs, where Kisara changed out of her sexy evening gown and into something more appropriate for traveling home.

Meanwhile, the men shook hands, glad that they had reached a truce. Although no words were exchanged between them, none were needed. They both understood that their marriages had changed forever, yet would remain strong. They walked out to the entrance hall, where Kisara and Serenity greeted them with Sean, who was peacefully sleeping in Kisara's arms. With one final round of good-byes, they parted company.

…**.**

Back at the Kaiba safe house, the exhausted Noelite Information team had just settled in for the night. Two team members were selected to monitor the equipment while everyone else rested for the next day. Yugi, Mokuba, and the Kaiba children had brought enough food to satisfy the hunger of the Noelites, and Mokuba walked the children back home before they could ask too many questions. Yugi and Ishizu stayed at the safe house with the Noelites in one of the private rooms.

…..

Down in the basement of Our Lady of Faith, the rest of the Noelites were breaking bread. Earlier, Pretty Pictures had led a shopping expedition to pick up sandwich ingredients. Since it was risky to show their faces plainly, the creativity team had disguised themselves with some of the publicity team's make-up.

There was no way to cook food in the church basement, so the Noelites had to improvise to make the meal more exciting without spending a fortune. The creativity team managed to do this well by cutting the bread into fancy shapes and making cold bread pudding with the discarded crusts. Everyone applauded the fruitful efforts of the Creativity team, and by the end of the night the Noelites were in high spirits despite all the trouble they had encountered over the past two days. They rallied around their leader who had found them a safe place to stay. Come what may, they would fight to restore the reputation of Noel as a harbinger of justice.


	27. Friday, December 27

**Warnings: **Nothing significant

**Music Lover's Alert:** If you enjoy listening to music while you read, I recommend "If I Never Knew You" from the Disney movie Pocahontas. I do not consider myself a "Disney Child." However, there are some things I appreciate about Disney movies. Just in case you have not already seen it, this is going around the internet right now. I don't know where it came from. It is not mine, but enjoy anyway:

Dear parents,

Jasmine was in a relationship with a dirty homeless boy named Aladdin. Snow White lived alone with 7 men. Pinnochio was a liar. Robin Hood was a thief. Tarzan walked around without clothes on. A stranger kissed sleeping beauty and she married him. Cinderella lied and snuck out at night to attend a party.

Sincerely, it's not our fault, it's how you raised us

**Author's Note: **For those of you who remember Zigfreid Von Schroder, in this universe he attempted to diversify his business, but he usually failed in his endeavors and produced junk. He stayed in business because he made the other CEOs look good and they kept bailing him out every time his company wound up in the toilet. One of the things he tried to do was to make cars. So, I just thought I would mention that because I mention it briefly here and in the prequel. However, Seto pretty much avoids him most of the time.

**Chapter 32 Friday, December 27**

The next morning, Kisara showed up at Kaiba's safe house exactly as she had promised. Seto was standing outside waiting for her. The icy cold wind whipped through his short brown hair and his white trench coat billowed magnificently as she approached.

"You husband actually let you come alone," Seto noted as she drove up to the safe house in her father-in-law's old car. It was a classic Schroeder Corporation model that was practically falling apart at the seams even though it was only five years old. Its brown "eco-friendly" paint peeled in places and a horrid smell spewed out of the tailpipe.

Kisara leaned out the window and smiled at Seto. Her long white hair draped over the edge of the window as she spoke. "Yes. Agatha wanted to spend the day with Tristan and me, but I told her that there was an emergency at work and that I had to travel to my company's Tokyo office immediately."

Seto walked up to the vehicle and laid an elbow on the windshield of the car. His nose wrinkled slightly at the awful smell that it emitted, but being close enough to look into Kisara's beautiful blue eyes was well worth the minor discomfort he experienced. "Smart move. So, what exactly do you do for a living, and why can't you afford a better car?"

"The Taylors actually do have a better car. They just bought this one as an emergency backup. I work for Global insurance, and due to all the turmoil surrounding these buildings, there might be a real emergency at work soon." Kisara shuddered a little at the thought. Global Insurance was a branch of Global Enterprises, and its CEO Bakura held the most powerful seat in the oligarchy. Global Enterprises was formerly known as International Enterprises back when independent nations still existed, and it played a major role in the unification of the world under one government. It was highly likely that the company was involved in the Christmas Day massacre.

Seto leaned down and cupped her chin with one hand, tilting her head upwards so he could get a better view of her face. "Be strong. We need you, Kisara." Although Seto had only known her a few short days, there was something about her that drew him to her a way that was different from every other woman he knew. He planted a gentle kiss on her lips, which seemed to sooth her. When Seto drew back, he saw that her eyes danced with happiness. "Ready?" he asked.

Kisara nodded and revved her engine. Seto stood back while she drove the vehicle into the underground parking space in the safe house. The Noelite car was gone. It had never returned and the Noelites assumed that the worst had happened to the four Action team members who returned the rental helicopters. However, they wasted little time on speculation. Instead, the Noelite leaders were gathered together discussing how to deal with today's threat. Joseph, the Publicity team's young sandy-haired tenor, stood in for Penguin. Kisara and Seto joined them, sitting among the holograms and Tulip, the only flesh-and-blood Noelite partaking in the meeting. Rebecca and Ishizu were also present, while Yugi watched from a corner of the room.

"…So, is the government sending an agent to hijack the airplane or what?" Joan asked.

Tulip straightened his glasses, which were slightly too large for his lean face. "We believe there to be a remote-controlled device onboard the aircraft. This device may take control over the plane only a few minutes before it is scheduled to impact the building, giving the pilot almost no time to radio for help."

Rebecca chimed in, "If Kisara can divert the plane before the device activates, we can save everyone on board."

"You're forgetting one thing," said Jamie, the red-headed leader of the technology team, "Devices such as these often serve a dual purpose. There could be a small bomb in it as well as a radio jammer to prevent the truth from getting out. If the government has thought this operation through, they'll be ready to cover their tracks in case anything goes wrong."

"Ishizu, what do you make of this?" Joan asked.

Ishizu closed her eyes and concentrated. She was weary from the events of the day before, and she felt her powers weakening as she pushed for more clarity. After ten seconds of fruitless effort, she said simply, "Better safe than sorry."

Joan turned to Jamie. "Can your men disarm such a device if they manage to get on-board?"

"Yes, we should be able to manage, but what if the flight is already booked?"

Joan turned to the white-haired woman. "Kisara, can you carry a few holographic transmitters with you?"

For a moment, Kisara was stunned from being addressed by the unfamiliar auburnette she saw kissing Seto the day before, but quickly determined that the Noelites, Rebecca, and Ishizu must have been speaking about her before she entered the room. Joan's confident, no-nonsense tone assured her that she was an important part of their operation. Kisara nodded and said, "I can easily do that."

"Good," said Joan, "Jamie, when Kisara intercepts the airplane, your men will locate and disarm the device via holographic transmission."

"We'll need the proper tools," Jamie said hesitantly.

"Seto?" Joan asked.

"This is a trivial matter," the CEO responded, "I'll write a new subroutine into the software that will allow you to carry fully functional tools after this discussion is over."

Joan nodded in appreciation of Kaiba's compliance and then went on to the next order of business. "Is the tower still scheduled to fall whether or not we divert the plane?"

"That may very well be the case," answered Tulip.

"Yes," Rebecca chimed in, "Brown Demolitions is working independently of Global Airlines, so Technicrop will most certainly collapse either way."

"Therefore, we must evacuate the building," Joan concluded.

Tam volunteered. "Just give me the schematics, and my team will handle it."

"Your team is dwindling, Tam. Are you sure you can afford to spare the men?" Joan asked.

Tam smiled deviously. "We have sixteen holographic transmitters available to us at Our Lady of Faith. Surely the technology team will not need all of them."

Everyone at the meeting nodded in approval of the plan and then broke to return to their respective teams. Every holographic person except Joan disintegrated while the rest of the people stood and started filtering out of the room. Joan turned to Seto and said apologetically, "I'm sorry for causing so much trouble. If it wasn't for me, you'd be enjoying the holidays with your family."

"Bullshit, Joan. For one thing, you're a part of my family now. For another thing, my secretary is sneaking around behind my back planting bombs in my office building, and I would have never known if it wasn't for you. Lastly…" Seto wrapped his arm around Kisara's waist. "I found another person to love, and that never would have happened without this absolutely insane chain of events that brought us together."

Joan blinked and Rebecca gasped while Seto stood with his arm around his new girlfriend. Despite all the stress that everyone was feeling, Seto and Kisara seemed fresh and ready for anything that might come their way. When one looked at the two of them directly, the aura that radiated from them was almost blinding. "Wow," was all that Joan could say.

Rebecca, on the other hand, had her own opinion. "I can't believe you slime ball! How many times are you going to cheat on Serenity?"

"Calm down, Rebecca. Tristan cheated on me, too," Kisara said.

"That doesn't make it right!" Rebecca practically yelled.

Seto rolled his eyes. "Not this again!"

**Closing Note:** Sorry for the abrupt ending, but I felt that I should end it here due to the change in mood. The next chapter starts exactly where this one left off. However, it contains some heavy stuff, so read at your own discretion.


	28. Conflict Mediation

**Author's Note:** Thank You for the reviews everyone! For those of you who love Kaiba x OC stories, I would like to direct you to "The Story Of Skyler Crawford" and "Only The Good Duel Young" by Fire Ice and snowcones. She is essentially re-writing the Yu-Gi-Oh! series season-by-season with the addition of some OCs. She is also borrowing Kari Rakitan a.k.a Joan for her present series. So, go check it out and enjoy!

**Warnings: **Strong Language, Very Graphic Violence, Nudity. Honestly, the scene with Penguin is something that I would censor _before_ censoring the lemons. However, since violence is more acceptable to our culture than sex, read at your own discretion. The first two parts are relatively clean.

**Music Lover's Alert:** For this chapter, I recommend "Disturbia" by Rihanna. This song sets the mood for the whole chapter, and this is a long chapter, so go ahead and play it over again if it stops before you finish reading.

**Chapter 28 Conflict Mediation**

Before the tension could mount any higher, Joan said, "Let's all sit down and have a heart-to-heart. If there's one thing I've learned from leading Noel, it is that people can't work together when they have unresolved conflicts."

Grudgingly, Seto took a seat along with the three women. Everyone else had already vacated this particular room in the safe house, so Joan, Rebecca, Kisara, and Seto had their privacy. The safe house conference room was furnished with lightweight titanium folding chairs that felt surprisingly more comfortable than they looked. Seto and Kisara drew their chairs close together and Seto draped an arm around her shoulder.

Joan searched the room for a symbolic object and selected a jar of multivitamins designed to sustain a person who was trapped in the safe house for a long period of time. Joan handed the jar to Rebecca and said, "One person talks at a time while everyone listens. Whoever has the jar gets to speak. Understood?"

Everyone nodded and Rebecca took her turn. She took a deep breath and started to let out her feelings like a gushing river that had just broken its dam. "Everything is just so weird. A few days ago, I was just a normal, law-abiding citizen. Then, I tried to correct a mistake that the media made, but they just laughed at me. Now, I'm conspiring with outlaws and to top it all off, I'm forced to watch idly while Kaiba fools around with other women behind his wife's back." Rebecca let out a heavy sigh and passed the jar to Seto.

Seto smirked as he spoke. "Rebecca, you're assuming that I did not have my wife's permission. That may have been true the first time you saw Kisara and me together, but last night we were doing anything but going behind her back. In fact, she was right there beside me fucking Tristan while Kisara rode my massive cock."

Joan and Kisara could not help but giggle at Seto's statement. Although Seto had a very handsome manhood, they both knew that it was certainly not massive. Kisara coughed her giggles to a stop as Seto handed her the jar. "Yes, Seto was very good last night. Tristan had performance anxiety, but he got it up eventually. Oh, and Serenity gives great cunnilingus! Seriously, though. Rebecca, we are quite capable of working out our own issues, and we would appreciate it if you gave us some space."

Kisara yielded the jar to Joan. Joan's gold-specked blue eyes flashed excitedly as she spoke. "Serenity gives cunnilingus? Can I have some?" Seto grinned and nodded. Joan smiled back, then took on a more serious expression. "Anyway, Rebecca, just understand that we do things differently around here. If it makes you feel any better, most new recruits to Noel go through some of the same emotions that you are experiencing right now. Much of it springs from loneliness, and it helps if you have a friend to go through it with you. Now, is there any way we can make your stay here more comfortable? I'm sure that we could hook you up with one of the Noelite boys if you are interested."

Joan passed the jar to Rebecca. "I don't want to join your freaky sex club! I want to get out of here, find a normal boy to date, fall in love, and get married!" She passed the jar to Seto and then quickly crossed her arms over her breasts.

Seto Kaiba laughed as he had laughed on so many occasions when he was about to win a duel and he knew it. "Good luck with that fairy tale. Hey, do you still have that stupid deck with Sleeping Beauty and her flunkies?"

Rebecca threw up her hands and screamed a frustrated, animalistic scream. Then, she stormed out of the room with her straight blond pigtails flipping behind her.

Joan stood abruptly and slapped Seto upside the head. "You asshole! Don't you realize that we need her help? You can't just go around insulting people like that!"

Kisara was also upset. She pushed herself away from Seto and said, "I can't believe you would say something like that! What kind of man are you? Are you even a man at all?"

"Sorry, I couldn't resist. I guess that makes me a bad boy, huh?" Seto said expectantly, a small smile playing across his lips.

"Not funny, Seto," Joan said.

Before Seto could reply, both of his girlfriends left the room with a huff.

…..

Joan and Kisara found Rebecca sitting out in the snow while texting on her cell-phone. "Go away," she mumbled, "I don't want to talk to sluts like you."

"Rebecca, let's put all that aside for now. Thousands of people are counting on us," Joan pleaded.

Rebecca ignored her and continued to text. Her phone buzzed back at her and she paused to read the message, then started texting again. Her blue eyes stared blankly at the screen as her thumbs flew. Another buzz and pause; another flurry of tapping.

Kisara and Joan sat on either side of her and waited in silence for a few minutes. "You know, Kaiba had no right to say what he said," Kisara offered.

"That man should be chained up and flogged," Rebecca said darkly, not looking up from her phone.

"No," said Joan thoughtfully, "I think he would enjoy that too much. In fact, that could have been exactly what he had in mind when he insulted you."

"Freaks," Rebecca muttered. She continued tapping away on her phone for a long time in silence while Joan and Kisara reached for the right words to say.

"Who are you texting?" Joan finally asked.

"Mokuba and Joey," Rebecca said curtly, "Anything you want me to know about their bedroom preferences?"

Joan shrugged, and her dark auburn curls cascaded over her shoulders as they shifted position. "Nope. I never had either one of them in bed. Actually, I've slept in the same bed as Mokuba, but Seto and Serenity were in-between him and me, so that doesn't exactly count."

"So, at least you don't fuck everything that moves," said Rebecca flatly.

"Heavens no!" replied Joan, "I mean, Mokuba is hot and everything, but the chemistry just isn't there."

Rebecca sighed and tapped out another text message. Her phone buzzed in response. She stared hard at the message, and then read it aloud: "From Mokuba… 'My wife says that you can take me out as long as you get me back home by 8pm so I can read Sarah her bedtime story. Where should we go?' Ugh! That's not what I meant, _Nimrod_!"

"Rumor has it that Mokuba has a very nice rod," Kisara commented, thinking of what Serenity had told her.

"I'm not going to date a man who thinks he is married to his brother's wife!" Rebecca screamed. She threw her phone to the ground and stomped away into the woods.

"Well, we tried," said Joan. "We should go back in now and see if there are any updates."

Kisara nodded and followed Joan back into the safe house where they found the information team bustling with activity. Joan asked what had happened during her absence and, after being de-briefed, deactivated her hologram and found herself back in the basement of Our Lady of Faith.

…**This is where you might want to stop reading if you get nightmares easily… I'm just saying**….

Penguin dangled upside-down and naked in what appeared to be a medieval dungeon. Her bleached blond hair hung straight down, pointing at the floor like an arrow. After a whole day of interrogating her without reaping a single shred of useful information, her captors had decided to take her torture to the next level. The dark chamber reeked of blood and decay as if it had never been cleaned within the last century. Instead of focusing on her pain or discomfort, Penguin wondered about the thousands of people before her who had languished in this prison. Since there was no need to treat common criminals in this manner, everyone who suffered through, or died during this ordeal must have been a prisoner of war, a spy, or a rebel like herself. As the guards tightened her bonds and clamped various devices to her body, she stared into the recesses of the dungeon as if she was looking for ghosts of the people who were here both before and since the present oligarchy took power.

Penguin was still lactating, and one of the guards squeezed her left breast roughly. Milk squirted out, and the guard gave a crude laugh. "Animals," Penguin spat as another guard secured a vacuum pump to her other tit. Apparently, they thought it was humorous to milk her like a cow. The guards stood back to admire their handiwork, and then left.

They came back a few minutes later dragging four heavily chained, but still struggling Noelites. All of them were muscular men with dark hair and vacant looks in their eyes. Immediately, Penguin barked at them, "I don't care how you got here. Just keep your mouths shut no matter what happens."

"Don't worry," said one of the Noelites, "We weren't listening when they discussed the plan, so we don't know anything anyway. That's why we were chosen. We never pay attention!"

"Perfect" replied Penguin, "I trust everyone is well, then?"

The Noelite shrugged. "Yeah, I guess so."

Penguin closed her hazel eyes in satisfaction. "Good. That's all I need to know."

One of the interrogators prodded Penguin with a sharp stick that pierced her flesh, causing blood to trickle from her thigh to her vagina, where it was soaked up by her dark pubic hair. "We're not done with you, bitch! Someone is going to talk before this day is over."

"Wanna bet?" Penguin taunted.

The interrogator thrust his rod into Penguin again, and the other Noelites winced in sympathy as a new wound formed on her other thigh. "By the time I'm done with you, you will have told me everything I want to know and more."

Penguin, not one to be intimidated by her captor's terror tactics, spoke as if she had the upper hand. "Oh. In that case, let's start with something you don't want to know and work our way back from there. For starters, your government is a piece of shit! Whatever happened to Industrial Illusions was not Noel's doing! If you want to interrogate someone, start with Pegasus or Bakura!"

"Doll," the interrogator said while breathing in her ear, "You must be out of your mind if you think I'm going to turn against the people who sign my paychecks."

The other guards shifted uncomfortably as Penguin stared around the room defiantly. "That's right, you dicks! You are living off of blood money no matter how you cut it."

The interrogator thrust his rod into her again, but this time there was no resolve behind the motion. It was little more than an empty gesture.


	29. Dispensable

**Author's Note:** Thank you for all the reviews and keep the coming!

**Music Lover's Alert:** There are many songs that could accompany this chapter. I think that "What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye would be most appropriate.

**Warnings:** Nothing major

**Chapter 29 Dispensable**

Back at Our Lady of Faith, the Noelites were on a roll. Action was discussing a full-scale evacuation plan for Technicrop. Technology was reviewing literature on how to disarm small bombs. Creativity was keeping everyone comfortable, and Publicity was trying to decide how to deal with the media fallout. Without their leader Penguin, the Publicity team found their task daunting, and Joan stepped in to help them.

Publicity focused first on writing a new verse to the Noelite theme song. Every member of the team brainstormed with a pencil and a piece of paper, writing down possible lines that popped into their heads and then compiling the best lines onto one master sheet. Although the church had plenty of folding chairs available, they were rusty and they squeaked. Therefore, the Noelites found it more comfortable to sit cross-legged on the floor. They used outdated church music books as a substitute for clipboards as they scribbled ideas for their lyrics.

When the task was half-completed, Joseph sighed and laid his head of sand-colored hair in Joan's lap. "It still doesn't seem like we're doing enough," the tenor said dismally.

"In what way?" asked Joan, glancing down into his light coffee-colored eyes.

"After all we've been through to try and change the world, it still feels like we're doing nothing more than damage control."

Joan closed her eyes and let the memories of hundreds of Noelite exploits wash over her mind like waves on a beach. Joseph was right. Each time they triumphed over some evil in the world, a stronger, more powerful one with more money inevitably sprung up in its place. However, this time was different.

For as long as Joan could remember, the Noelites were an isolated people who pulled minor stunts to amuse themselves in an attempt to improve one small corner of the world at a time. They had never directly saved any lives, but neither had they taken any. They were ridiculed in public, but admired in private and sought out by many people who eventually earned the title of supporting member, and sometimes gave up their jobs to join the small group of rebels.

Now, the tables had turned and the world was closing in around them, trying to hunt them down for a crime they did not commit. If it wasn't for the seemingly divine intervention of Ishizu and Kisara, they would almost certainly be finished by now.

Joan lifted the pencil in her hand with new determination. With several assertive strokes, she finished the last few lines of the new verse of the Noelite theme song. When she finished, she laid her paper in the center of the Publicity team circle. Joseph, the alto, and the base leaned forward to read the words, and hope slowly warmed their hearts.

….

Yugi timidly approached the main entrance of the Technicrop tower. As the King of Games, he was welcome almost anywhere, but he still trembled as he prayed that nobody would stop him. Yugi had been voted by the Noelites to drop off several holographic transmitters on the top floor of the building so that the action team members could materialize there and evacuate the building when the time came. Kaiba's two-way holographic transmitters were very versatile devices, but like cell-phones they would not function unless there was one present both in the location of the actual person and in the location to which the person's image would be transmitted. Thus, someone had to deposit the transmitters where they were needed, and Yugi found himself saddled with that task.

The information team had hacked into Technicrop's computer system in order to make it appear that Yugi had an appointment. Although Ishizu had assured Yugi that everything would run smoothly, Yugi still felt out-of-place as a security guard wearing a blue uniform said, "Mr. Moto! I can't believe it's really you! I don't suppose I could trouble you for an autograph. You know, for my kid?"

Yugi laughed nervously and signed the scrap of paper that the guard pushed at him. Then, he signed the visitor check-in sheet with the same pen and the guard gave him a green light through the security barrier. Although Yugi had no actual appointment to attend, the guard would never know since he did not communicate directly with the Technicrop executives. He simply received a list of expected visitors through his computer terminal from the secretaries of the executives, and he never bothered to check the list's validity out of fear of being a nuisance to his bosses.

Yugi whistled casually as he got into the elevator and pressed the button for the top floor. It was approaching noon, and the ride to the top of the building was empty since most of the workers were on their way down for lunch. When Yugi reached the top floor, a horde of men and women in suits nearly trampled him as he struggled his way out of the elevator.

Yugi suddenly realized another reason why he was uncomfortable with this mission; he had not dressed for the occasion. In his silly leather pants and spiky hairdo, he felt like a street urchin among all the immaculately groomed professionals. He felt conspicuous, yet all the workers simply turned up their noses and walked right on past him as if he was invisible, or simply somebody else's problem. Yugi hoped that they would pay more attention to the Noelites when it came time to evacuate.

Instead of going to the office where he was supposedly expected, Yugi made a beeline for the washroom. He found it deserted, and before anyone else could enter, he went swiftly from stall to stall dropping a holographic transmitter in each one. When he reached the second-to-last stall, the sound of two men entering the washroom caused him to jump. He hastily locked the door of his present stall and sat down on the toilet while he listened to his heart thump. The gentlemen were conversing, and as much as Yugi hated to eavesdrop, his heart was not quite loud enough to drown out their words.

"You know, Fred, I think it's really shitty that we've gotta work over the holidays like this, especially with the big terrorism scare going on now."

Yugi heard the unzipping of flies followed by the tinkle of urine.

"I know what you mean, George. My wife almost didn't let me out the door this morning, but honestly I was afraid I'd lose my job if I didn't come. You remember those errors I made last week? The boss got all upset and threatened to fire me if I didn't work overtime to make up for all the money I lost the company."

The men finished urinating and washed their hands.

"Yeah," George sighed, "Notice how all the company favorites got the holidays off and we're stuck here. Fred, do you think we'll ever make it to the top like we always dreamed?"

"We can always hope, but I'm starting to think that we are nothing more than pawns in this corporate world."

Yugi heard the swinging of the bathroom door as the men left the washroom. He let out a sigh of relief, quickly deposited a holographic transmitter in the last stall and left.

The elevator ride down was much more crowded, but Yugi was no longer focused on his own awkwardness. Instead, he thought of all the people around him and how dispensable they must be to the company. The CEO of Technicrop knew about Brown Demolition's plans for the building, and he probably hand-picked his least favorite employees to work overtime and perish when the building collapsed. Shortly before Yugi left for his mission, Kisara had made an interesting discovery with a little help from the information team. Technicrop had recently purchased a new insurance package from Global Insurance. It protected the company's building against terrorist attacks, and provided compensation to the families of any employees who died while they were on the clock. _Hush Money_, Yugi thought. Not only would Technicrop be able to fire all of its least valuable employees de facto, but it would also save itself from any lawsuits… unless the Noelites succeeded with their plan.

When Yugi reached the main lobby, the uniformed security guard greeted him cordially. "That was fast. Did it go well?"

Yugi nodded. "Yeah. Say, um… I was wondering why there are so many people working here during the holiday season."

The security guard shrugged. "I guess we just got more business than usual this year."

Yugi shook his head grimly. "Somehow, I think there's more to it than that. I can't say what, but just um… be careful today, OK?

The guard gave Yugi a puzzled look and said, "Yeah, OK. Whatever you say."

Yugi forced a smile, bowed slightly to the security guard, and left the building.


	30. Preparations

**Author's Note: **Lol! I did not even realize the Harry Potter reference until biskittins pointed it out to me. The names Fred and George just popped into my head for no reason.

**Chapter 30 Preparations**

Back at Seto Kaiba's safe house, Kisara was in her dragon form preparing to take flight. The information team surrounded her, lodging a radio receiver in her ear and affixing holographic transmitters to the tips of her massive claws. The plan was that once she reached the airplane, she would puncture its aluminum hull with her powerful talons, thus inserting the holographic transmitters into the body of the aircraft.

The information team was well-aware of the risks involved in this operation. Cabin pressure would undoubtedly drop inside the aircraft and the passengers would need to rely on oxygen masks in order to survive. However, the alternative was much worse.

Tulip secured the last holographic transmitter and patted Kisara's huge talon. "OK! You're all ready to go! Good luck out there." His voice reached her clearly not because he spoke loudly, but because she heard him through the special earpiece that she was wearing so that she could receive further instructions via radio from the safe house while in flight.

Kisara snorted her thanks as best she could and then spread her majestic wings. She took to the air and all the members of the information team waved to her as he headed towards the city.

Seto Kaiba had not stayed to see her off. In order to protect the location of the safe house, he had traveled to a pre-designated landing site where Kisara could drop off the airplane and safely transform back into her human form. Although the information team had insured that no satellites were watching Kaiba property at the moment of her departure, it would be much more difficult to keep them away once they got a lock on the great White Dragon. By having her land in a remote location before she transformed back into her human form, the information team felt that they had a better chance of eluding the satellites on Kisara's return trip.

As Kisara disappeared into the clouds, Tulip noticed a flash of blond hair out of the corner of his eye. He turned to look more directly at the odd object, and made out the form of Rebecca sulking behind a tree. Deciding that it would be best to approach her alone, Tulip handed the radio to one of his team members and bid them to go inside where they could monitor Kisara's progress.

As soon as the rest of the information team was inside, Tulip walked over to the stand of trees where he had spotted Rebecca. "Hey" he said softly, "What's wrong?"

Rebecca peeked around the edge of the tree. She was suspicious of his intentions, yet his tone of voice somehow assured her that she was safe. "Tulip, why are the Kaibas so weird?"

"Weird in what way?"

"They're like… perverted… sexually."

"Oh. I don't know. I usually don't pay attention to that stuff because it is none of my business."

Rebecca came out from her hiding spot and sat down at the base of the tree. Tulip took a seat beside her. "Doesn't it ever bother you?" Rebecca asked.

Tulip shrugged. "Not really. If it makes them happy… I really couldn't care less."

"What about Joan? Doesn't it feel weird working for a…" Rebecca stopped short of saying the word "slut" out of consideration for Tulip.

Despite the fact that Rebecca never finished her sentence, Tulip still got the message. "You know, Joan wasn't always the way she is now."

"Really? What happened?"

Tulip took a deep breath and prepared to tell the long story. "During the early days of Noel, Joan envisioned that it would be a celibate organization. Having been through a pregnancy herself, she felt that sex would rip Noel apart and cause too much drama."

"Joan has a kid?"

"No, it was a miscarriage and a very traumatic one, too. It took years for her to recover from that. It wasn't her fault, anyway. The child was half-vampire and it was never meant to live. Anyway, Joan wanted Noel to thrive, and she thought that celibacy was the best way to do that."

"So, what changed?"

"It happened over a long period of time, really. The Noelites, being only human, grew restless. Being cooped up in one place for so long with the same people led them to form secret relationships. Since nobody could admit their feelings for each other to the rest of the organization, things often got messy. Joan could feel the tension mounting, but she was powerless to change the situation. She feared that Noel would fall apart and everyone would go their separate ways."

Rebecca was listening attentively. "So, how did she save it?"

"She went to a church in Domino one day for confession. She was at her wit's end, and she spewed everything to the priest."

"No way!"

"Way. When she came back from that experience, she summoned everyone to the dining hall and announced that there would be no more secrets. It was as if a great weight was lifted from everyone's shoulders. People kissed each other freely and shouted for joy. By the time the pandemonium died down and people had already seen their lovers kiss multiple others, nobody cared anymore."

"And it stayed that way? Like, happily ever after?"

Tulip shook his head. "Not exactly. A few conflicts arose here and there, but Joan quelled them quickly. Instead of trying to pretend that problems didn't exist like she did before, she dealt with issues as soon as they arose. She became our conflict mediator as well as our leader."

"Oh, So when did she start doing the one-person-speaks-at-a-time thing?"

"The what?" Tulip asked, his green eyes widening out of curiosity.

"She had Kisara and Kaiba and me pass around an object, and only the person who was holding it was allowed to talk."

"Hmm… I don't know when she started doing that. I've never had to be involved in a discussion like that. Not enough drama in my life, I guess."

Rebecca eyed him carefully. He was a nerdy guy, but still attractive. She wondered why she had never looked past his glasses until now. He had deeply soulful forest green eyes that seemed peaceful and confident. His long, light brown hair was pulled into a pony tail, but a few stray strands brushed his serene chin. "Tulip, do you have a girlfriend?"

"No." The answer came quickly and easily.

Rebecca brightened and sat up straight. "Did you know that I… think you're really cute?"

"I did not know that, but thank you." Tulip shifted a little uncomfortably.

Rebecca bit her lower lip. "Do you think that, um, that you could ever like a girl like me?"

A moment of awkward silence passed between the two of them. Finally, Tulip said, "Rebecca,"

"Yes?" she answered expectantly.

"I'm gay."

Rebecca flushed madly and said, "I'm so sorry! I didn't know!"

"Don't worry about it. It's good to know that girls still find me attractive even if I'm not interested in them, Say, don't you think we've spent enough time out here? Let's go check up on Kisara and see how she's doing."

"OK," said Rebecca, welcoming the change of subject. Tulip stood an offered her a hand up. Rebecca took it, and the two of them went inside the safe house to monitor Kisara.


	31. 2:00 to 3:00

**Author's Note: **Kisara is not in this chapter, but definitely in the next one! This chapter occurs over approximately the same time frame as the next chapter, but I didn't feel like jumbling them together because of how complicated things get in the next chapter. I know that this chapter is a little shorter than usual, but the next chapter is longer than usual, so hopefully that makes up for it!

**Music Lover's Alert:** I had originally intended "White Flag Warrior" by Flobots for this one. However, after some browsing I decided to save "White Flag Warrior" for later and use "Like Toy Soldiers" by Eminem for this chapter… unless you can't stand Eminem. So, depending on which artist you like better, enjoy!

**Claimer:** The Noelite Theme Song is mine and it has a tune, but I am not nearly brave enough to record it. So, just read it like a poem.

**Chapter 31 2:00 to 3:00**

Back in the men's washroom on the top floor of Technicrop, a glowing silver orb appeared in each of the six stalls. One of the stalls was occupied, and the employee inside received quite a surprise. The orb drifted from its original place on top of the toilet tank behind him and into the space in front of him where it grew to its full size. Then, the features of a large black man with rippling muscles appeared in front of him. Unlike the Technicrop employee, who wore a white shirt and tie, the intruder wore a pair of tight spandex shorts and a tank top that served to accentuate his powerful build.

The man on the toilet screamed and hastily pulled up his slacks without wiping. The larger man looked down at him in disdain, then turned around and kicked the stall door open without bothering to undo the lock. The little man cowered on the toilet seat, unsure of what to do next.

"All right, you weenie. Get out of here. In fact, leave the building. Trust me, you don't want to be here at 3:00. Take your friends with you," Pepper commanded.

The Technicrop employee gulped and stumbled out of the stall. He then ran clumsily out of the washroom, knocking over a waste basket full of used paper towels on his way. Pepper shook his head and watched the panicked man disappear.

Tam and four other members of Noel's action team emerged from the other stalls. "Let's get moving," Tam ordered.

"Right," they all replied.

The action members filed out into the hallway and promptly distributed themselves among their assigned sectors of the floor. Salt and Pepper managed traffic through the stairs while the others managed the elevators and herded people towards the exits. To ensure a smooth flow of traffic, they started on the top floor and worked their way down floor-by-floor until the whole building was cleared.

The workers were, for the most part, surprisingly cooperative. When the Noelites barged into their cubicles and demanded that they evacuate, the workers trembled a little and then complied. There were a few difficult cases that had to be man-handled, but even they listened to reason when they saw their co-workers lining up docilely in front of the elevators waiting for the next trip down. Every single person understood clearly that their office building was about to collapse, and no one turned down the opportunity to live. What they did not know was that the very people who were saving their lives were the same people they thought to be the terrorists. The Noelites wore no identity markers of any kind, and the action team had been careful in the past not to reveal their full names to any supporting members.

When the last of the ninety-two floors had been evacuated and all the Noelites stood together on the empty first floor, Tam looked at her watch. "Congratulations, everyone. We made it three minutes and twelve seconds ahead of schedule. Now let's tell these kids what is really happening."

The six members of the action team disappeared in a glorious shower of silver sparks, and their holographic transmitters clattered to the floor. Moments later, four of them began to glow again. The transmitters projected orbs of light which grew to the size of a human, then re-shaped themselves into the images of Joan and the three un-imprisoned members of the publicity team.

The four of them made their way out to the front steps of the building where a huge crowd of reporters were gathered waiting for something to happen. Joan and the others faced the crowd. They had prepared a speech, but it was impossible to make a single word heard amidst the rabid questioning of the reporters. The Noelites gave up and stood silently until the reporters calmed down enough to shut up and listen.

Joan began, "This building, like Industrial Illusions, has been scheduled for demolition by-"

Another flurry of questions arose from the reporters. They were all jumbled together, but a few came out clearly: "Why Technicrop? Rakitan, who foiled your plans and evacuated everyone? How many people did you plan to kill?"

When the noise died down, Joan did not pick any of their questions to answer. Rather, she completed the sentence that she had originally intended. "–Brown Demolitions." This time, the reporters did not jump in with more questions, and Joan was allowed to continue. "My people evacuated Technicrop in order to prevent further loss of life. The day before yesterday, we were framed for something we did not do. Today, we prevented another tragedy from happening. Now, I want you all to consider something. How much do you trust your government? Are you willing to follow them blindly and put your life in their hands? Wake up and look around you for once. The first attack was a sham, and so is this one!"

The Noelites then started to sing their theme song. Joan took over Penguin's soprano part. Although Joan's voice strained on the high notes, she performed decently enough. She knew the tune by heart, and had often joined the publicity team in their practice sessions so that she could stand-in for either the alto or soprano parts if the need arose.

_Maybe we're not so dangerous_

_Why don't you listen to us?_

_Hear us out_

_We've got something to talk about_

_Remember back when—_

Before they could finish the song, a deafening rumble filled the air. The reporters had taken up so much of the Noelites' intended oratory time with their incessant questioning that they simply could not finish their performance even with the extra three minutes and twelve seconds that the action team had provided. The reporters looked up at the structure and time stood still for a moment before it fell smoothly to the ground in a cloud of smoke and dust. With screams of fright they fled, scattering in all directions.

The Noelites shrugged, turned around, and walked back into the building so that their holographic transmitters, evidence of Kaiba Corp's involvement in this matter, would be destroyed.


	32. Snort Twice

**Author's Note: **I would like to thank biskittins for naming Charlie (short for Charlotte). She had a big enough role in this chapter that I decided she needed a name instead of being "random Technicrop employee in the bathroom" or something. I felt it was important to show the prevailing mainstream attitude towards Noel and how people are sharply divided in their opinions.

I will be introducing another corporation in this chapter that I like to call Stellar Defense. Fire Ice and snowcones gave me a name for its CEO Gilbert Jones. He will appear much more in the prequel than in this story. In this story, he is aged and worn. In my notes I put him down as twenty five years older than Seto, so that would make him approximately sixty in this story. BTW, sixty is not necessarily old. I like to think of it as "vintage" because quite frankly some of the best people in the world are over sixty. However, Gilbert Jones ages prematurely due to his occupation and what it does to his soul.

**Music Lover's Alert: **"White Flag Warrior" by Flobots

**Warnings: **Language, brief nudity

**Chapter 32 Snort Twice**

Meanwhile, Kisara soared high above the clouds while Tulip and Rebecca monitored her progress via Kaiba Corp Satellite. They sat in front of four active monitors and gave her directions through her earpiece. The other information team members sat around the room with their laptops ready in case Rebecca and Tulip needed extra assistance while Ishizu observed from a distance, waiting for her husband to return to the safe house.

"OK, Kisara, Turn West now. You should see a Global Airlines plane in about two kilometers. Snort twice when you see it," Tulip said.

Kisara saw the target and snorted twice.

"That's the one! Grab it!" Tulip ordered.

Kisara flapped her gigantic silvery blue wings rapidly so that she could build up speed. She caught up to the airplane and slowed her pace to match its velocity. Then, she latched onto it with her mighty talons. She dug her claws in deep, piercing the hull like aluminum foil and causing most of the passengers to scream in fright. Cabin pressure dropped immediately and yellow oxygen masks fell from the ceiling to ensure that the passengers would have a steady supply of oxygen. The passengers quickly pulled the masks over their faces and sat in morbid anticipation of what would happen next.

Rebecca's voice sounded in Kisara's ear. "Are we ready to deploy the transmitters? Snort once for 'no' or twice for 'yes.'"

Kisara snorted twice again. Shortly after she gave her answer, glowing orbs started to form at the tips of her talons. Out of the orbs materialized the forms of Jamie, Grant, and Jakob, Noel's top technology specialists. They each wore a pair of dusty blue coveralls with broad leather tool belts around their hips. Jamie, who stood a head taller than his two companions, also carried a simple black radio strapped to his shoulder.

As soon as Jamie looked at the faces of the distressed passengers, he said in a reassuring tone, "Do not be alarmed. We are here to ensure that this plane lands safely."

The passengers, unsure of the identities of the men who had just invaded their plane, looked at each other in confusion. With oxygen masks constricting their faces, none of them found it worth the trouble to speculate on the situation with words. The simply sat dumbfounded while their mysterious saviors made their way to the cockpit.

When Jamie opened the door to the cockpit, the co-pilot was already waiting for him with a ceramic gun in her gigantic hands. She was a broad-shouldered woman with firm muscles and black hair in a buzz cut. Her hard, thin lips trembled slightly as she held the gun in front of her to protect the delicate instruments in the cockpit. "Come no closer," she warned, "I know that you are Noelites and I am prepared to shoot!"

"Calm down, ma'am. We are indeed Noelites, but you misunderstand our intentions. We believe there to be a device on-board this aircraft which may interfere with your ability to land safely. Please allow us to find this device and disable it," Jamie said smoothly.

"Nice try! I was warned that you might make up a story like that, and I'm not buying it!" The co-pilot said defensively. Her deep brown, slightly skewed eyes glistened with concern for her passengers.

The captain spun around in his chair and looked at his co-pilot. "Charlie!"

"Not now! You fly, I take care of the hijackers," Charlie hissed.

"But Charlie, the controls are no longer responding!" The captain insisted, his voice slightly muffled by his oxygen mask.

Jamie shook his head slowly and spoke the first few words of the Noelite theme song. "Maybe we're not so dangerous. Why don't you listen to us?"

Charlie flared up in anger. "All right, you bastards! Enough trickery!" Charlie pulled the trigger of her weapon, and the bullet penetrated Jamie's hologram. Although the hologram was programmed to transmit most real-world sensations to its operator through the use of force fields, Kaiba's software had a fail-safe mechanism that prevented the force fields from exerting enough pressure to harm the operator. Thus, what Jamie actually experienced was the equivalent of a strong thump in the chest. The passengers shrieked with terror at the sound of the weapon discharging, but remained seated.

Jamie grunted and staggered backwards for a fraction of a second, his medium-length black hair falling into his eyes, then returned to his previous stance. "Please don't do that again. It's really annoying. Now please make yourselves useful and help us find the device—both of you!"

"Who is going to pilot the plane when we get it fixed?" asked the captain.

"No need to worry about that," replied Jamie, "There is a huge dragon carrying the aircraft.

Charlie scoffed. "That's the most ridiculous thing I ever heard!"

"Why do you think everyone had to put on their oxygen masks? Peek in the cabin and you'll see her claws sticking through the hull!"

Charlie shoved Jamie aside and peered into the main cabin. There, sticking down through the overhead luggage compartments on either side of the plane were two huge white hooks. Charlie pulled her head back into the cockpit abruptly. "That doesn't… prove… any… thing!" Her voice grew weak at the end of her sentence from lack of air, and her body started to wobble. Her chest heaved and her face became slightly blue.

"Damn it, woman! Put on your oxygen mask!" Jamie ordered.

Realizing that she had very little choice in the matter, Charlie sat down and pulled her oxygen mask over her face. After taking a few breaths, she said, "All right. Whatever the hell you're doing, just hurry up and get it over with."

"My pleasure. Now, if someone wanted to interface with the main flight computer, how would they do it?" Jamie asked.

The captain shrugged and pointed to a computer screen that sat between him and his co-pilot. "I just fly the thing, not hack into it."

"OK, we'll start there. Boys, get out your tools!" Jamie commanded.

Jakob and Grant each whipped out a screwdriver from the tool belts that they were wearing. Then, they squeezed themselves into semi-comfortable positions next to the flight computer. Quickly, they unscrewed four tiny screws on the cover and removed it. They examined the electronics underneath while the pilots looked at the innards of their airplane in fascination.

Jakob touched a small, blinking device about the size of a wrist watch that was connected to multiple controls via tiny wires that ran haphazardly over and around the other parts of the computer. Some of the wires ran under the covers of other instrument panels, and their destination was unknown. "This looks pretty foreign to me."

"I say we rip it out," said Grant, yanking a pair of pliers out of his belt.

"Wait! If we remove them without disarming the bomb first, we could alert whoever is watching us and we would be dead," Jamie cautioned.

"Bomb?" Charlie asked.

"We think that whoever intended to hijack your plane also planted a bomb on-board in case their plan failed," Jamie explained, "We need to find it fast, and before anyone realizes that we are here."As he spoke, Grant and Jakob climbed awkwardly over the pilots and started removing the covers on the other control panels. They were skinny, petite men, so they were able to fit in small spaces, but they still had difficulty reaching their objectives.

"Do you mind!" Charlie complained as Grant's leg brushed against her breast. Grant was practically standing on her chair while he fiddled with the instrument panel on the ceiling. He got the cover off, and then quickly jumped down. As he did so, a heavy black object that was nearly the size of a coffee cup fell down and hit Charlie in the head. Charlie lost consciousness immediately.

"I think we found the bomb," Grant proclaimed. The object dangled from a wire, suspended above the co-pilot's seat.

"Check the opposing panel for a second one. I see a wire leading up there, too," Jamie advised.

Before Jakob could climb up the seat, the pilot quickly slipped out of it and stood beside Jamie so as not to suffer the same fate as his co-pilot. Now, only tube of his oxygen mask hung over the empty seat. Jakob gave him a nod of appreciation for moving, then mounted the seat and got to work. He had the cover off in no time, and the second bomb flopped into view.

Jamie drew closer to examine the bombs. With a little smile, he said, "I don't think anyone expected us to find these."

"What makes you say that?" The captain asked.

"They are both very simple models, and they are not armed yet. If we just disconnect these main wires at the same time, we should be fine."

Grant and Jakob took out their wire cutters and poised them over the wires. "On three?" Jakob asked.

They counted together. "One, two, three!" Snap!

The conscious people held their breath and waited for something to happen. When nothing did, Jamie said, "That was easy… too easy." Suddenly, a warning light went on in the cockpit and an alarm sounded. "What happened?" Jamie demanded.

"Coolant leak," the captain replied, "I am now attempting to shut down the engines." The captain jumped back into his seat and fiddled with the controls, but none of them responded.

Jamie touched a button on his radio. "Kisara, get this thing on the ground ASAP! The engines are about to blow." He released the button. "Quick! Cut the rest of those wires to see if we can re-gain control of the plane!"

Jakob and Grant wielded their wire cutters once more. They quickly snapped all the remaining wires around the watch-sized device. "Did it work?" Grant asked.

Rather than answering, the pilot reached for the airplane's radio. "Mayday! Mayday! Engine failure is imminent. If there is anyone out there, please advise."

Jamie thought fast and reached for his own radio again. "Kisara, if there is any way you can pull off this stunt, we need you! If you can get a claw free, pluck out the engines and get rid of them!" Jamie released the button and waited.

The captain had given up trying to get his controls to respond. He just looked at his radio and prayed to it, waiting for an answer. It was not from his radio, but from Jamie's that the answer came: two snorts.

A split-second later, the whole airplane tilted violently to the left, and the screams of passengers resounded through the cockpit. They hung precariously for what seemed like an eternity as everyone held their breaths. At last, the airplane righted itself again and the passengers let out a collective sigh. Their relief lasted only a moment, however. Before anyone could inhale, the aircraft tilted violently to the right. Another eternity passed, but finally the airplane returned to its proper orientation.

Jamie pushed the radio button again. "Kisara, are we in the clear?"

Two snorts.

The Noelites and the captain cheered for joy and hugged each other. When their elation had died down, Jamie said, "May I address the crew?"

"Be my guest," The captain replied.

Jamie went back into the main cabin and cleared his throat. "Ladies and gentlemen-" A tap on his elbow cause him to stop. A flight attendant was sitting there peering up into his dark anthracite eyes. She handed him a microphone. Although the long-range radio had been cut off, the announcement system within the aircraft still worked fine. Jamie began again. "Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to inform you that we are now safe. However, please do not remove your oxygen masks until we have landed and the plane has come to a complete stop. As you may have noticed, my comrades and I are not like you. No, we are not angels; only holographic projections. Our dragon friend, on the other hand, is real. Her name is Kisara and she has come here all the way from America to save your asses. Speaking of asses, does anyone know who rigged this plane in the first place? Come on, now! Don't be shy!"

The passengers mumbled something from behind their oxygen masks.

"I can't hear you!"

"Noel!" they all shouted.

"Wrong answer! That is what your government wants you to think. In fact, this whole fiasco was orchestrated by Brown Demolitions Incorporated and Global Enterprises, which coincidentally owns Global Airlines, the very company responsible for running this flight. I know that this is hard for you to take, so I invite you to remain skeptical for now. When you get home tonight and turn on the evening news, remember what happened to you here and make your own decisions. Thank you for listening, and please enjoy the rest of your flight," Jamie said cheerfully.

Jamie handed the microphone back to the flight attendant. He was about to shut off his hologram when the sound of a two people clapping caught his attention. It was the Charlie, who had regained consciousness, and the captain. As pilots, it was their duty to ensure the safety of the passengers, and they knew that without the help of Jamie and Kisara, all the passengers would be dead by now. Another person started clapping. Slowly but surely, more people joined in until the whole cabin was alive with thunderous applause for the Noelite heroes. Jamie and his team members bowed their heads slightly, and then all three of them switched off heir holograms simultaneously.

It did not take long for the airplane to reach the ground. Unlike a normal landing, there was no need for a runway. Kisara simply hovered with the belly of the plane a mere centimeter from the ground and dropped it. They landed in a meadow on the edge of a forest.

As soon as Kisara had her own enormous feet back on the ground, she walked over to the tree line. The passengers inside the plane ripped off their oxygen masks and clambered over each other to the windows so they could see the Blue Eyes White Dragon. Someone opened the emergency exit, and the passengers who could not get a good view from one of the windows poured out of the plane. They watched as a tall figure in a white trench coat emerged from the woods and reached out a hand to touch the giant beast. He remained under the cover of the trees, as if he was trying to keep his identity secret.

Back at Kaiba's safe house, Tulip and Rebecca were monitoring Kisara's progress through the Kaiba Corporation satellite. "Yes! It looks like they'll be fine," Tulip said.

Rebecca's fingers flew rapidly on the keyboard in front of her, as her blue eyes stared intently at one of the four monitors. "Not quite. We still have a few problems. There are five Global Enterprises satellites glued to their position. What's worse is that we have also caught the attention of all three of the geo-stationary Stellar Defense satellites that are within range of their location, and all three of them are arming."

Tulip looked at the two monitors on Rebecca's side of the desk. One of them displayed the status of the Global Enterprises satellites while the other displayed the status of the Stellar Defense satellites. The ones targeting Kisara and the airplane were designated SD3NE, SD4NE, and SD5NE. N stood for North Hemisphere and E stood for East Hemisphere. About twenty years ago, Stellar Defense had launched a network of satellites that were supposed to defend Earth from extraterrestrial threats. However, they were also capable of firing shots at Earth itself, vaporizing their targets on contact. In fact, the only capacity which the satellites had ever served was to enforce government rule. "Oh shit! Can you stop them?"

"I'm working on it, but I don't know if I can pull it off in time."

"What exactly are you writing?"

"A virus that will cause them all to self-destruct."

"Good. You do that while we try to hack into them individually." Tulip turned to his team members. "Adam, you take SD4NE. Clarissa, you take SD5NE. I'll take SD3NE."

"Yes, sir!" the two information team members replied. They got to work immediately, tapping madly on the keys of the laptops they had salvaged from Rakitan Industries. For the next forty eight seconds, that was the only sound that filled the room.

Tappety Tippety Tappety Tippety Tappety Tippety Tap. Tappety Tippety Tappety Tippety Tappety Tippety Tap. Tappety Tippety Tappety Tippety Tappety Tippety Tap. Tappety Tippety Tappety Tippety Tappety Tippety Tap.

"Ah ha!" Clarissa shouted. SD5NE was about to fire, but instead of aiming at Kisara, it was aimed at one of the Global Enterprises satellites. There was an emergency war protocol in case the oligarchy fell apart, and Clarissa had managed to activate it.

"Bingo!" Tulip yelled a second later. He had found the same thing.

"Shit, shit, shit!" cried Adam as all three satellites discharged their weapons. Two Global Enterprises satellites were obliterated, and it appeared that the same would be true for the Global Airlines plane, but instead the blast hit the ground about twelve meters away from the plane. The discharge instantly baked the clay beneath the frozen ground in the spot where it hit, and the extra heat dissipated, melting all the ice in the meadow.

The spectator passengers screamed in fright, but were otherwise unharmed. They were so distracted by the blast that they did not notice when their dragon friend began to shrink and transform into a naked woman with flowing white hair. When they turned back to look at her, she had already disappeared into the forest.

Watching over the scene from Kaiba Corp.'s satellite, Tulip let out his breath in relief. It wasn't quite a sigh; a sigh would have indicated that everyone was safe, which was certainly not the case. "Rebecca, do have the virus ready yet?"

"Almost!"

"Hurry up! They're arming again, and it looks like someone just erased the emergency protocol we found."

Tappety Tippety Tappety Tippety Tappety Tippety Tap. Tappety Tippety Tappety Tippety Tappety Tippety Tap. Tappety Tippety Tappety Tippety Tappety Tippety Tap. Tappety Tippety Tappety Tippety Tappety Tippety Tap.

"There!" Rebecca clicked the upload button, and her virus spread through not only the three satellites of concern, but all Stellar Defense satellites around the globe. They all lit up like Christmas trees with flashing warning lights as multiple systems within them malfunctioned. Five seconds of tense anticipation passed, and then all the satellites exploded simultaneously.

"Whoa! How did you get all of them at once like that?" Tulip asked

Rebecca shrugged. "It was actually easier than it would have been to just select the three that we wanted. Plus, if we ever have to go through this again in another part of the world, we have one less hurdle to worry about."

"This is awesome! Do you know what this means? Without armed satellites around the globe, people can protest publicly against the government again. Maybe they'll even revolt! Rebecca, this is a major breakthrough!" Tulip was practically jumping up and down with excitement. He grabbed Rebecca and gave her a big hug.

When Tulip released her, Rebecca was a little dazed. She knew that Tulip was right, but she never expected it to happen even though she was the one who actually accomplished the task. All she could say was, "Wow! Yeah, cool!"

**Closing Note:** It is a heavily debated issue whether pilots should be allowed to carry guns in the cockpit. In this case, let's pretend that it is not legal under this particular government and that our trigger-happy co-pilot snuck the gun on board, hence the reason why it is ceramic instead of normal.

**Call For Reviews: ** I have several chapters of prequel written in my paper notebook, but I keep hitting writer's block intermittently. I have not yet written the first kiss scene between Seto and Serenity, so I am looking for ideas on that. Some potential settings that come to mind are at Serenity's father's funeral or at one of the many corporate galas that Seto must attend to keep his corporation in good standing with all the other big corporations. So, please let me know which of these two sounds better or if you have an entirely different suggestion, I would love to hear it! I am taking a short break on the silentshipping portion to write a little side story about Yugi and Ishizu's adventures in North Africa, so it will take a little while for me to get back to Seto and Serenity. Please share your thoughts!


	33. Radio

**Author's Note:** Thank you so much for your reviews! Just one more and I'll have 100. I'm sorry that this chapter took longer than usual to post. Postings may go down to once a week or so instead of the usual three times per week or so due to things getting busy for me. However, on the bright side it looks like I found a good internship. It pays almost nothing, but hopefully it will lead to something better in the future.

**Disclaimer: **Unlike my corporations, which are fictional (I hope), Free Speech Radio does exist. I do not own it, but then again I do not think that any one person owns it.

**Music Lover's Alert:** "Burn it Down" by David Rovics. I have favorited one version of this song on YouTube in which David Rovics is hanging out with a bunch of students in Scotland. The YouTube title of that video is "David Rovics Live from the Senate Room. 7/9 Burn It Down." I have also uploaded a clearer, more crisp version of it from soundclick just so you can find it easier to access on my YouTube profile. This is one of the rare cases that I put lyrics into the text because the song is actually being played in this chapter.

**Chapter 33 Radio**

After pulling Kisara under the cover of trees, Seto gave her a simple, yet warm white dress to wear along with some sheepskin boots to keep her feet warm. As much as Seto would have loved to stare at her gorgeous naked body forever, he did not want her to freeze to death. Seto led Kisara through the dense evergreen forest, careful to stay under the snow-frosted foliage.

Kisara trudged behind him, gazing at the place on the back of his neck where his brown hair tapered into a sharp point. "Seto, why were you so rude to Rebecca earlier?"

"Why do you care? You don't even know her," Seto replied icily without turning to look at her.

Kisara was silent for a minute. Their footsteps were cushioned by the snow, and made only the slightest crunch as they walked. "It's just that Rebecca seems like a really nice girl to me. You know, smart but innocent."

"Kisara, Rebecca is a brilliant hacker, but otherwise a complete dweeb. If I don't put her in her place every now and then, she might get some stupid notion about being friends with me."

"Would that be so bad?" Kisara asked.

"Yes. I have a wife, a brother, a daughter, a niece, two girlfriends, a brother-in-law, two nephews, and a company to run. I don't have time to associate with dweebs."

"Oh," Kisara replied simply. Even though she shared an inexplicably powerful bond with the CEO, a lot of things about him were a mystery to her. She did not know anything about his childhood, how he met Serenity, or why he was so close to his brother. What confused her was how he could be so kind and tender to certain people, yet treat everyone else as if they were dirt. She found her own feelings towards him to be even more unnerving. Why, despite all the blows and harsh words he had exchanged with her husband, was she so in love with him?

Kisara shook her head and decided to let her quandary rest for the moment. All that mattered was that she was with him, and she felt that she should make the best of the moment. Kisara increased her pace briefly so that she could walk beside him rather than behind him, and bumped his hand with her own. Seto looked down at her and gave her a tiny smile, then took her hand in his. They walked the rest of the way in silence.

After navigating through the maze of trees, Seto and Kisara emerged into a parking lot on the edge of a small town. Seto's limo was there waiting for them. Although Seto usually had someone else drive, this was one of those rare cases where he could not afford to let anyone else know where he had been or who he was with. Seto opened the front passenger door for Kisara, then got in the driver's seat and turned on the motor. He backed the vehicle out of the lot smoothly and headed towards the main road.

Once they were on the freeway, Seto turned on the radio. It was pre-set to the news station that his regular driver preferred.

A woman's voice spoke with intensity. "This just in: Breaking News! The Noelites have unleashed their second attack. The death toll has not been recorded yet, but government analysts say that it will be quite low due to the fact that their agents uncovered the plot in advance and evacuated the-"

-click—

A man's voice spoke with the same intensity that the previous reporter used. "Noel strikes again! We are getting reports that Noel failed to hijack the Global Airlines flight, and then attempted to murder the passengers by hacking into a Stellar Defense satellite. The passengers are now receiving medical attention, but it appears that most of the damage they suffered is of a psychological nature. We believe that the Noelites forced the passengers to inhale a hallucinogenic drug through their oxygen masks that-"

-click—

A woman's voice spoke. Unlike the other two reporters, her tone was much more subdued. "Welcome back to Free Speech Radio. We are listening to a cell-phone call from an anonymous caller who says that she was evacuated from Technicrop's tower not by government agents, but by Noelites."

Seto turned the volume up, and a different woman's voice spoke. She sounded distressed and spoke rapidly, as if she knew that her time was limited. "After we got out safely, they appeared on the steps of the building. They were different people from the ones who evacuated us, but I recognized three of them as Noelites, and the fourth one looked a lot like that composite sketch of Kari Rakitan. They told us that Brown Demolitions was responsible for the attacks, and they were about to say more, but they didn't get a chance. The building just fell down without warning. No airplane hit it or anything. The next thing I know, we're all running to get away from it. There was pandemonium everywhere! Then, these cops appeared out of nowhere and rounded us all up. They took us to the city park and surrounded us like they expected us to make a run for it or something. Then, this government agent showed up with a truck full of cash. He said that we were lucky to be alive and that we were evacuated by government agents. I don't know who really evacuated us, but they sure as hell didn't look like government agents to me. Anyway, some of us started to ask questions, but instead of answering the agent shoved wads of cash in our faces and said, 'take the money and shut up.' Then, he let us go, I'm surprised they didn't—Ahhh!"

A gruff male voice sounded in the background. "Ma'am, surrender your mobile communication device immediately. You are in violation of Government Stability Code five, sections twelve through nineteen."

"Never, you pigs!" The woman shouted. The sounds of a struggle ensued, and then the line went dead.

The speaker from the radio station came back on. "I am sorry ladies and gentlemen, but we have been disconnected from our caller. If you would like to comment on what you just heard, call in at 555-FREE. That's 555-FREE. In the meantime, please enjoy this old classic by David Rovics."

_Rodney Coronado was arrested for a speech  
>That he gave one evening by the San Diego beach<br>He stated his opinions, they sounded just like mine  
>And now they want to put him behind bars til 2029<em>

Seto took a hand off the steering wheel and dug in the pocket of his tight leather pants. He withdrew his cell-phone and handed it to Kisara.

_The prosecutor said the problem was the speech it showed intent  
>I couldn't figure out exactly what he meant<br>You can't describe an action and say you thought that it was swell  
>So what'll happen when we sing this, who the heck can tell<em>

Kisara looked at Seto in fear. "Won't they trace us like they did the woman who just got arrested?"

_We don't like the condo and we're gonna burn it down  
>Corporate terrorists, drive them out of town<br>We'll bring a lot of gasoline, pour it on the floor  
>Light a match, say a prayer and run right out the door<br>Burn it down, burn it down, we're going to burn it down  
>Burn it down, burn it down, burn it down<em>

"No. I wrote the scrambling program myself. It's foolproof," Seto replied.

_Now if you just sang that chorus then you just broke the law  
>To be an eco-terrorist now you just gotta flap your jaw<br>And hey who knows by the time you have a chance to blink  
>Whether you're a criminal might depend on what you think<em>

Taking his word for it, Kisara dialed the number. The song continued to play while she waited for someone to pick up the line.

_Now they come for Rod, maybe next they come for you  
>And I'll tell you what I think all of us should do<br>Sing this song with me, raise your fist and caterwaul  
>If we fight together they can't arrest us all<em>

"Free Speech Radio. May I ask who is calling?" The announcer said through the phone.

"You can call me the White Dragon," Kisara replied.

"So it's true? The passengers on the aircraft weren't hallucinating?"

"Yes, and if you put me on the air, I'll tell the world what really happened."

"OK! You're on!" The announcer flipped a switch as soon as the song ended, and her voice came on over the air. "Welcome back to Free Speech Radio. Our next caller calls herself 'White Dragon,' and wants to share her insight into today's airplane incident."

Kisara gripped the phone tightly as she spoke as if she was afraid that Seto's scrambler would fail at any moment. Her voice squeaked a little at first, but then became more steady. Without revealing any names, she described her ability to transform and how she had prevented the airplane from crashing into Technicrop's skyscraper using brute force. Then, she spoke of Noel's technology team and how she worked with them to prevent disaster.

When Kisara finished, the radio announcer asked, "We have heard rumors that there was an energy discharge from a Stellar Defense Satellite. What do you day about this?"

"There was definitely some sort of energy discharge out there, and it could have easily been from Stellar Defense. I'll ask my Noelite contacts and get back to you on that."

"White Dragon, are you yourself a Noelite?"

"No. I just met them yesterday. It was purely by coincidence, or maybe fate. Anyway, I should go now before I say too much. The important thing is that the Noelites are good at heart, and instead of listening to government lies, we should be out there demanding the truth." Kisara paused to indicate that she was finished.

"Thank You, White Dragon! Our next caller believes that Yugi Moto, the reigning Duel Monsters champion, played a role in the evacuation."

Seto turned the radio off. Having to tolerate Yugi's presence in his home was bad enough. He did not need to be reminded of how Yugi beat him at his favorite game.

Before long, Seto and Kisara were back at the Kaiba mansion. "Can you stay tonight?" Seto asked.

"I was hoping you would say that," Kisara replied with a smile, "Agatha thinks that I'm in Tokyo, so it doesn't make much sense for me to go back to her house tonight."

"Good. Go dress for dinner." Seto gave Kisara a quick peck on the lips, then swatted her rear affectionately in the direction of the stairs.

Kisara giggled and obeyed his command. On her way up the stairs, she glanced back at him. He was a completely different person when he was fully dressed than when he was undressed. When dressed, he was the powerful and confident CEO of Kaiba Corporation who expected everyone to do his bidding. When undressed, he was submissive and willing to do anything to please someone else. Kisara decided that she liked him both ways, and she couldn't wait to see what the evening had in store.

As Kisara navigated her way to the bedroom, the sounds of children playing drifted out to her from one of the open doors. She paused at the threshold and peeked into the room. She saw Serenity and Mokuba playing with Janet and Sarah. Janet had a screwdriver and was taking apart a duel disk to see how it worked while Mokuba supervised her and answered all of her questions as best he could. Although Janet had received many new toys for Christmas, she had decided to try her hand at taking apart electronics and putting them back together in case Sarah broke any more of her toys. Meanwhile, Sarah and Serenity were cutting up paper from some sort of craft kit. Kisara gazed longingly at the happy family. She wondered if her own son would turn out to be as cheerful and intelligent as Serenity's daughters.

**Call for Reviews:** Thank you for all your awesome reviews! I am still stumbling on the prequel, and my mind is wandering on possible sequel ideas. What do you guys think about Janet going to Duel Academy? Do you think that Sarah should go too? I am going to post a poll on this, but I would appreciate some comments on the topic as well. I just want to know what you all think of me bridging into the GX realm. This is a completely unwritten and not very well planned story, so your comments will definitely influence whether or not I write it. For now, my priority is still writing the prequel, which may actually be two prequels in which case I am about half-way through the first prequel and I will need a title for the second prequel. I'm still trying to decide what to do for Seto and Serenity's first kiss. So… talk to me!


	34. Resistance

**Author's Note: **Yay! I have a real internship now! Thank you for all your wonderful reviews on the previous chapter. The best way to keep me updating frequently is to leave me lots of reviews.

**Warnings: **Suggestive themes

**Music Lover's Alert: "**Resistance" by David Rovics

**Chapter 34 Resistance**

Down in the basement of Our Lady of Faith, the Noelites were having dinner. They had arranged the rectangular folding tables as best they could into a large circle so that they could all face each other. Tulip, Rebecca, Ishizu, and Yugi were also present in holographic form. Father John sat next to Joan, watching their discussion with interest.

"We need to get the message out to people that they can protest in mass numbers again," Tulip was saying, "We have a window of opportunity now, and we can't miss it!"

There were murmurs among the Noelites, and Joan waved her hand to silence them. "Does the whole information team back you on this?" she asked.

"Absolutely!" Tulip replied.

Joan glanced around the room at the other Noelites. Some of them nodded while others stared back at her with a steady gaze. "Your proposal is extremely risky, but if everyone agrees to it, I think it could work."

Trevor chimed in, "I support it, but only if you go as a hologram." His emerald green eyes glistened with resolve.

"We only have sixteen holographic transmitters. That's not enough for everyone. I couldn't let one of you put your life in danger while I stay here in safety."

"I disagree," Ishizu said, "Some of you should stay here to hold down the fort."

"But will sixteen people really be enough?" Pretty Pictures asked.

Ishizu sat tall and confident before the Noelites. "Yes. Do not forget that Yugi will be with you. He is a celebrity and people will follow him."

All eyes in the room turned to look at Yugi, and he blushed. His golden millennium puzzle hung limply from a steel chain around his neck. They waited for him to say something, but instead he remained silent.

Joan took the floor again. "Are there any objections to the plan as stated?" Joan waited for more comments, but instead everyone nodded silently to indicate their support. "So be it. We march at first light tomorrow, so make sure you all get a good night's sleep. Pick your bed-mates wisely."

Although the statement was simple enough, its implications were not so simple. Everyone had different sleeping patterns. Some slept best alone while others preferred to listen to the breath and heartbeat of someone they loved. Some people needed to expend the remainder of their physical energy through either masturbation of intercourse before they could sleep soundly while others preferred to read a book with a cup of tea before drifting off to sleep. With the limited privacy the basement offered, fulfilling everyone's preferences was easier said than done.

The Noelites finished up the rest of their meal, then settled into another heavy discussion. It was Pretty Pictures, the leader of the creativity team, who managed to come up with a solution. "OK, so the biggest difference is between people who want a loud environment and people who want a quiet environment, right? Let's use the holographic transmitters to send all the loud people to Kaiba's safe house and keep all the quiet people here."

"Perfect!" Jamie replied, "The holographic transmitters generate a sound-absorbing barrier around the real body of the person they are projecting, so any noise made by the projected person will not be heard by the rest of us or any of the church's neighbors!"

The Noelites nodded in assent, and sent away those who wished to go to Kaiba's safe house. Once separated into two groups, the Noelites found their negotiations much easier. John went back to his apartment while Tam and Joan cuddled up with Trevor. The remaining Noelites paired off in twos and threes while some slept alone. It turned out to be the most restful sleep they had all had since Christmas Eve.

…

Back at the Kaiba residence, dinner was almost normal. Serenity and Mokuba had kept the children sheltered from the news all day long because they felt that it would be easier on Seto if the girls did not bombard him with stressful questions. Instead, Janet asked Seto about some of the technical aspects of his duel disk system that Mokuba could not explain to her. Kisara sat beside Seto and attempted to join in the conversation, but instead felt awkward when she could not keep up with all the technical terms that Janet and Seto used. Kisara was amazed that a ten year-old child could be so keen on technology. Serenity and Mokuba fawned over Sarah, ignoring the other conversation and adding to Kisara's feeling of estrangement.

When dinner was over at last, Kisara's sense of relief was short-lived. Janet took Seto by the hand and dragged him upstairs so that he could help her re-assemble the duel disk. At a loss for what to do next, Kisara followed him. She took a seat in a royal blue bean bag chair in a corner of the play room and found a holographic pop-up book to read. She flipped idly through it while she waited for Seto to declare bed time.

When they were screwing in the last screw, Seto's cell-phone rang. "Kaiba," he answered. After listening for two seconds, he thrust the phone into Kisara's hand. "Kisara, it's Tulip. Find out what he wants while I put Janet to bed."

"Aww Father! There's no school tomorrow and I'm not tired!" Janet protested.

"Brush your teeth," Seto commanded.

"You can't fool me, Father. Something strange is going on here. Does it have something to do with that weird woman? Who is Tulip? Is that some sort of secret code? Why was Yugi here yesterday, and where did he go?"

Seto gritted his teeth. "It is all work-related. Now, go brush your teeth and don't you dare mention Yugi again!"

"Whatever," Janet said defiantly as she stomped out of the room and slammed the door behind her.

Seto stared at the door with a mixture of anger and hurt. He knew that his daughter's actions were a cry for more attention, and he desperately wanted to give it to her, but now was the worst possible time. He hated Brown Demolitions for ruining his holidays. He hated Global Enterprises for running the government. Most of all, he hated keeping secrets from his daughter. She deserved to know why strange adults were invading her home, especially since her father was in love with one of them. In a sudden moment of resolve to come clean, he took off after his daughter.

Kisara, shocked by the squabble, stood mutely with the phone in her hand. Tulip's voice drifted out to her. "Hello! Kisara, Kaiba? Is anyone there!"

Kisara lifted the phone into its proper position and spoke into it. "Hi Tulip. Sorry for the delay. What's happening?"

"We're demonstrating tomorrow, and we want you there."

"Demonstrating! Nobody has pulled off a successful demonstration in years. Do you have a death wish?"

Tulip spoke more rapidly in his excitement. "We'll be safe this time. Rebecca sent a virus through all of Stellar Defense's satellites. Now, we have a window of opportunity we can't afford to miss. Hey, we want to make some public announcements to draw more people. Can you carry the sound system for us?"

"Um… are you absolutely sure we'll be safe?"

"Yes! Come on, we have a much better chance of making this work if you join us."

In the background, Kisara heard a woman's rhythmic screaming. "Is everything all right over there?"

The screaming increased in volume, and the voices of two men joined it. Tulip said something, but Kisara could not make out the words.

"What?"

Tulip walked away from the sound before attempting to reply again. "It's just an orgy," he yelled.

"Oh! In that case, I'll join you."

"For the orgy?"

"For the demonstration! The orgy sounds really tempting, though!"

Tulip laughed. "It will probably be over by the time you get here. The whole point of the thing is so people can get to sleep faster and be well-rested tomorrow. Anyway, I'll see you at the demonstration!"

Kisara and Tulip said their good-byes and hung up. Then, Kisara wandered around the upstairs maze of hallways looking for Seto. She found him sitting by his daughter's bedside telling her all about what had happened over the past few days.

"… and that is why Joan and I can't play with you right now. I love you, and as soon as this is all over, I promise I'll make it up to you." Seto leaned over Janet's bed and kissed her on the forehead at the place where her light brown hair met her skin.

Janet saw Kisara standing in the doorway. "Is it true that you can transform into the Blue Eyes White Dragon?" she asked in wonder, her crystalline blue eyes widening.

Kisara nodded. "Yes, and tomorrow is another big day for us. I just got word that we are demonstrating tomorrow."

"Demonstrating what?" Janet asked.

"Demonstrating our disapproval of the government. It's something that used to happen a lot before you were born," Seto replied, "I'll tell you more about it tomorrow night. Now go to sleep!"

Janet sighed in disappointment, "OK, Father."

Seto stood up, tucked in the covers around his daughter, and walked to the doorway. He turned out the light, then gently nudged Kisara out of the room and closed the door behind them.

"Master bedroom or guest bedroom?" Seto asked.

Kisara looked up at him with a twinkle in her electric blue eyes. "Master bedroom, please!" As Seto led her down the hallway holding her hand, the butterflies in her stomach fluttered madly. This was the moment she had been waiting for all day.

**C losing Note:** The next chapter is a gratuitous lemon. It will be my last lemon for a while. So, if you have any suggestions on how I can improve my lemons, now is the time to tell me! Just go back to the lemon chapters and leave some anonymous reviews :) The sooner you review those chapters, the sooner I update! So far, I have a grand total of zero reviews for lemon chapters. If I don't get any reviews, I will still update, but it would be easier for me to update if I had some suggestions on how to improve instead of just blindly attempting to make it better!

By clicking "next" I certify that I am of legal age to view erotic content in my locality. I understand that if I am not of legal age, I should go up to the top of this page and use the drop-down menu to skip ahead to chapter 36.


	35. Gushing LEMON

**Author's Note:** If this lemon sucks, it's your fault for not reviewing the other two.

**Music Lover's Alert: **"Because the Night" by Cascada

**Warnings:** Erotic Content

**Chapter 35 Gushing LEMON**

Seto opened the master bedroom door without knocking. Immediately, a pair of wild vocalizations burst forth from the sound-proof room. Kisara gasped at what she saw inside. Mokuba's bare backside was moving rhythmically before them. His broad shoulders and powerfully muscled body blocked their view of the person below him, but from the delicate hands that roamed his back and buttocks, Kisara concluded that it must be Serenity.

Uncertain of how to react, Kisara latched onto Seto for reassurance. Seto chucked softly and stroked her hair. "Don't worry. There's still plenty of room for us!" He was right. The bed could probably fit six couples before they started getting in each other's way.

Seto worked quickly. He tore off his clothes and grabbed two holographic transmitters from the bedside. He tossed one of them a few meters in front of him. Then, he placed the other behind his ear and turned it on. A transparent sphere enveloped his real body, and a projected image of it formed where the first transmitter had been tossed.

Kisara, still fully clothed, stood awkwardly by the door trying to decide what to do next. Seto's naked projection came before her and fell on his knees. "I am at your service, my lady."

At this point, Mokuba and Serenity had taken note of the other people in the room. They reduced the pace of their activity slightly, but did not stop. They were accustomed to being watched by Seto and Joan, so the arrival of Seto and his new girlfriend did not phase them much. They were more curious to see what would happen than they were disturbed. Serenity peeked around Mokuba's broad shoulders. And Mokuba turned his head to look at Kisara.

With three sets of eyes on her, Kisara felt the pressure almost stifling. She had no plans as to what she should do with Seto and looked at Serenity for direction. Sensing the girl's indecisiveness, Serenity took charge. "Seto, just act like a normal man and take the lead for once!" she ordered.

Seto rose to his feet and encircled Kisara's body with his arms. He kissed her lips tenderly, sending shivers of pleasure down her spine. Kisara melted in his embrace, and found herself relaxing into the moment. Seto moved his kisses to her neck, trailing them slowly down to her breasts. His fingers found their way to the zipper in back of her dress and undid it slowly, letting it slip off her breasts and settle around her hips. He nibbled at her nipples hungrily, causing Kisara to arch her back as he teased her sensitive nerves.

Kisara ran her fingers through his air as he touched her. A thousand thoughts flashed through her mind as she did so. She saw Seto dressed in the garb of a high priest in ancient Egypt. She saw herself by his side, then rushing in front of him to protect him. The imager frightened her, yet excited her at the same time. Something big was happening, and she was a part of it.

Seto picked her up and carried her to the bed. In the process, the rest of her dress slipped off her hips and took her panties with it. Seto laid her on her back and rubbed his hand on the inside of her thigh. Slowly, he drew closer to her beautiful orchid. The anticipation made her squirm, and Seto could see the moisture glistening on her flower like drops of morning dew. He thrust a finger inside her, causing her to moan aloud in pleasure. Seto pumped her a few more times and then mounted her, thrusting his manhood as deep as it could reach inside her.

Seto had considered re-writing his hologram to increase his penis size, but Serenity and Joan had insisted that he was just fine the way he was. Apparently Kisara felt the same way. Although his dick was barely larger than his finger, Kisara cried out in ecstasy at Seto pounded her.

Beside them, Serenity and Mokuba picked up their pace as well. The massive bed shook slightly as the four of them bounced in time.

Mokuba could not hold back any longer. He shuddered as he came and then collapsed on top of Serenity, kissing her several times as he fell. After a few moments, Mokuba rolled off of her and let her breathe. Seto, still deep inside Kisara, reached a hand over to Serenity and stroked her sweet spot. This send Serenity over the edge, and she screamed with delights as Mokuba sucked on her neck and Seto massaged her clitoris.

"Oh Seto! Oh! Cum… Now!" Serenity uttered.

Seto and Serenity came at the same time. It was a feat that they had never accomplished before.

When Kisara saw Seto and Serenity revel in their highs, a strange inner happiness overwhelmed her. Moments later, she too burst forth in a spring of fluid that warmed Seto's manhood and put him at peace. He withdrew from Kisara and rolled to one side, settling himself between her and Serenity. Serenity purred happily and snuggled up to Seto while Mokuba snuggled up behind her. Kisara wrapped her arms around Seto's waist, enjoying the warmth of his body. The four of them drifted off to sleep, secure in each other's arms.

**Closing Note:** In my opinion, It is just lazy writing to make people cum at the same time because it almost never happens. However, in this case I felt that it was appropriate.

If anyone still wants to review lemon chapters, I would find it very useful for when I do the re-write of Rakitan Industries. I have some vague plans for writing more lemons, but as of right now I have nothing in the works which would count as a lemon. Part 1 of my prequel will be rated T.


	36. Saturday, December 28

**Author's Note:** Well Fics, here is the chapter that you have been anticipating for so long! As for the names of the Noelites, the idea is that they use code names to hide their identities. When I post the prequel, I am going to start them off with regular names and then transition into the code names eventually. So, you'll get to guess who is who! I have written a few OC chapters to coincide with what is happening chronologically to the Yu-Gi-Oh! characters, but I don't have them actually meeting until Rakitan Industries, which I may re-write as soon as I finish the prequel. The prequel may take longer than I first anticipated. We'll see!

Sherese, you're right about the final arc of action! The next chapter after this is the big finale, which will be followed by the resolution.

I don't have any votes on the poll yet! Although I am not planning to write a sequel to this for quite some time, if would help to know if I should entertain thoughts of Duel Academy when they pop into my head and how much time I should spend watching Yu-Gi-Oh! GX while I am cleaning the house.

**Warnings: **Language

**Music Lover's Alert:** "What I've Done" by Linkin Park. This is more for the second part of this chapter.

**Chapter 36 Saturday, December 28**

Seto, Kisara, and the Noelite leaders gathered at the safe house early the next morning. After a brief discussion, Kisara transformed into her dragon form and Tulip and the other Information team members loaded her with several holographic transmitters and a pair of giant speakers that could receive transmissions directly from the safe house via Kaiba Corp's satellite or from the holographic people who would appear after she landed. Kisara spread her wings and took flight, heading straight for the heart of Domino City: its City Hall.

Meanwhile, Rebecca was inside the safe house monitoring the output from the little spy cameras that Seto Kaiba had deployed on his secretary. Over the past few days, the Information team had managed to maneuver the cameras into several locations around Mr. Brown's mansion. He had not visited his office since before the holiday season, so the Noelites left several of the little spy devices lodged in the eyelets of his shoe laces. To save power, they used one device at a time in audio-only mode.

As soon as Tulip walked back into the safe house, Rebecca announced excitedly, "Oh my God! You've got to hear this!" Rebecca took off the headphones she was wearing and turned the speakers up to full volume so that Tulip and the others could hear. Then, she turned to her computer interface and turned on the visual feed. An image of a man's dark blue pant leg showed up on the screen. The camera stared up at him from an odd angle, but if one looked closely enough, one could make out a mass of shaggy white hair that hung below the chin of a man about Yugi's age.

Bakura, the CEO of Global Enterprises, was scolding Mr. Brown and Mr. Jones, the CEO of Stellar Defense. "You imbeciles! Do you have any idea how much we'll have to bribe the media to keep their mouths shut this time? Well, it's coming straight out of _your_ coffers, not mine!"

Mr. Brown's voice spoke. "With all due respect, Bakura, there was no way we could have known that the Noelites would be so persistent. Someone must be helping them; someone with a lot of money and power."

"Are you suggesting that a member of the oligarchy is turning against his own!" Bakura demanded, "Mr. Jones, is it you? Why did you destroy two of my satellites? Explain yourself!" The blue-clad figure gesticulated angrily as the camera stared up at him.

Mr. Jones stuttered uncontrollably. "It-t w-wasn't m-me, s-sir! Th-the No-noelites p-planted a v-virus. N-now all of my s-satellites are g-gone!" From the barely distinguishable volume of his voice, one could deduce that he was standing beside Mr. Brown.

"You mean to tell me that the government is no longer under the protection of Stellar Defense? This is unacceptable! Do you realize what would happen if the masses ever found out about this?" Bakura raged.

"W-what sh-should we d-do, s-sir?" Mr. Jones asked.

"How soon can you launch new satellites?"

"A-b-bout a m-month, sir!"

"That's not soon enough, Jones! Do you even realize what we are up against? Some of the people who were supposed to die yesterday are already starting to talk. Apparently, the hush money wasn't enough for them. Mr. Jones, I need you to silence these people for good!"

"H-how?" Jones gulped.

"I don't care! Go to their houses one-by-one if you have to!"

"Bakura," Mr. Brown said slickly, "What if they have already told their families about what they saw? Shouldn't we get rid of them, too?"

"Yes! Kill every last fucking one of them! Oh, and get that stupid little independent radio station, too! We should have never tolerated them this long."

"Y-yes, sir!" Mr. Jones replied.

The executives broke their meeting and went their separate ways.

"Did you record that?" Tulip asked.

"Yes," replied Rebecca.

"Good! Let's hack into the media stations and broadcast this on every one of them."

Rebecca and every single member of Noel's information team started typing furiously.

…..

Back at Detention Center 31 where Penguin was being held, four green-uniformed guards were sipping coffee around a small circular table and listening to a little battery-powered radio while a fifth guard stood with his coffee mug in his hand. It was their break time, and listening to the news was a welcome diversion from their boring jobs. Suddenly, their regular programming was interrupted by the voice of Bakura, the most powerful member of the oligarchy. The guards leaned in around the radio and listened intently to the message.

When Bakura said, "Kill every last fucking one of them!" the standing guard dropped his coffee mug. It shattered when it hit the floor, spilling coffee all over the boots of his comrades. However, nobody bothered to clean up the mess or even seemed to notice.

The transmission finished, and Yugi's voice came over the air. "I'm on now? Oh, OK! Hi everyone. I'm Yugi Moto. Many of you know me simply as 'The King of Games.' I speak to you now not as a celebrity, but as a citizen of this wonderful planet we call Earth. If you just heard what I heard, you are probably feeling as betrayed and appalled and I am right now. Our own government leaders just killed six hundred innocent people, and now they want to kill _more_ to save their own hides! We can't let that happen! If you agree with me, take to the streets right now and stand up against this oppression! If we all work together, we can arrest these evil CEOs!

"My friends and I will be in the heart of Domino City all day long, and we will stay there until justice is served. If you are anywhere near Domino City, come join us! If you are elsewhere, start your own revolution! My thoughts will be with you wherever you are. For those of you who missed it, this is what our world leaders said just a few minutes ago."

Bakura's voice came back on the air. The guards looked at each other, then abruptly stood up and left the room. The last one out the door picked up the radio and carried it with him. They went directly to the dungeon where Penguin was being held, and played the message for the two guards outside her door. The guards went completely white, then fumbled with the door to get it open. The found Penguin inside, weak from loss of blood and crumpled on the floor.

"Miss Penguin, we've come to… apologize. We're sorry," one of the guards said.

Fire flashed through her eyes, and although she could barely move, her voice came out strong. "Prove it, pigs!"

The guard turned to one of his comrades. "Go get a first aid kit and something for her to wear!"

The other guard nodded and raced through the corridor. While they waited, the guard with the radio placed it by Penguin's head. As she listened, a smile spread across her face. "I'll be damned!"

The guard quickly returned with a first aid kit and one of his spare uniforms. They gently lifted Penguin into a sitting position and gingerly cleaned and dressed her wounds. As they did so, her stomach growled. Without hesitation, another guard ran back to the break room get her some nourishment. He grabbed the coffee milk out of the refrigerator and found a half-eaten package of cookies.

When he got back to Penguin, a highly decorated captain was standing there, confronting one of the other guards. His stern voice boomed through the corridor. "You know I can't authorize that, Sergeant! What you are doing is treason. Put the prisoner back in her cell immediately!"

"Not this time, captain! Sometimes a man has to choose between justice and authority. I choose justice, sir!" The sergeant replied.

"I'll see you at the court martial, Sergeant!" The captain turned on his heel and was about to leave, but the other guards got to him first. They grabbed him by his arms, threw him into Penguin's old cell, and slammed the door behind him. The captain pounded on the door, but to no avail. The guards refused to let him out, and walked away carrying Penguin.

On their way out of the complex, they stopped at four other doors to retrieve the Noelites who belonged to the action team. They were in better shape than Penguin, and could walk for themselves. The guards encountered more resistance from superior officers along the way and dealt with it accordingly. By the time they left the facility, they were over a hundred men strong. They loaded themselves into some of the military trucks that were parked outside, started the engines, and headed straight for Domino City.

**Closing Note:** This story is drawing to a close. I hope you like the ending! Please review!


	37. Duel!

**Music Lover's Alert:** "Stand Up" and "One Love" by Flobots, "After The Revolution," "SOA" and "Behind That Gate" by Davis Rovics, and "Simple Song of Freedom" by Bobby Darin. They are all in a playlist on my K5Rakitan You Tube account, so you won't need to click through them while you are reading! I was going to throw in a Nickleback song as well, but apparently Nickleback is too tight-fisted with its songs to allow other people to put them in playlists. That's one of the reasons why I like David Rovics better. He believes in the creative commons! Seriously, though. Nickleback still gets ten cents or something from the advertisement every time one of its songs is played on Youtube, so I have no idea why it would not allow its music videos to be featured in playlists. Maybe it has a weird agreement with its record company or something. Sorry, I'm ranting!

.com/playlist?list=PL1C64576F5910CA2B

**Disclaimer:** Since I am an American, I own the Declaration of Independence. However, I did not write it. It was written by Thomas Jefferson in 1776. I also own the Noelite theme song, but I'm more of a sing-in-the-shower kind of person than I am a record-it-and-post-it-all-over-the-internet, so just read it like a poem and enjoy the other music, which I do not own.

**Chapter 37 Duel!**

Kisara glided down to land on the spacious snow-covered lawn of Domino City Hall. Glancing around her, she was surprised to see that over a thousand people were already gathered on the surrounding sidewalks, watching City Hall to see what would happen next. Kisara released the holographic transmitters, and from them sprang Yugi, Ishizu, Tam, Joan, and several other Noelites. The crowd cheered when they saw the spiky-haired King of Games, and surged onto the lawn of City Hall. They lifted him high into the air, and for a few minutes, Yugi surfed the crowd, uncertain of what else to do.

A blond man with his buxom wife and two little boys pushed their way through the crowd. "Move it! Step aside! Best friend coming through!"

"Joey!" Yugi exclaimed.

"Yep! It's me, pal! I'm surprised you even remember my name. What's the deal? You never call, you never write, and then all of a sudden you show up back in Japan and _this_ is how I find out! We've gotta work on our communication, buddy!"

"I'm sorry Joey, but things were just so crazy!"

"Yeah, I know. You're saving the world and all that jazz, but aren't we supposed to do that together? What happened to the dynamic duo?"

Yugi spoke to the crowd. "OK guys! You can put me down now." Once he was back on his feet, Yugi turned to Joey. "You know what? You're right! Let's lead this march together!"

Before he could say another word, the protesters stormed City Hall. They pushed easily past the startled armed guards at the entrance, who were not prepared for a riot and were reluctant to shoot due to all the women and children who were present. The people marched up the marble stairs to the mayor's office.

The mayor, a former employee of Industrial Illusions, was really nothing more than a figurehead elected by the grace of his enormous campaign budget and ass-kissing. The protesters found him, bound him, and carried him out to the duelists and the Noelites. The mayor was dumped on the ground before them, squirming and demanding to be released.

"I'm sorry," said Yugi, "but the final decision isn't up to me. The people must decide whether or not they want to keep you in office."

The people cheered and chanted Yugi's name while he stood there with the mayor at his feet, wondering what to do. Moments later, a convoy of military trucks pulled into the square. At first, the crowd booed their arrival and threw things at them. Snowballs and rice cakes pelted the sides of the trucks. However, they crowd's attitude changed when they caught sight of Penguin as the guards lifted her high into the air for everyone to see. They fell silent at the sight of the world's most famous outlaw, battered and bruised from her stint in prison.

Joan approached the truck and help up a microphone for Penguin. The blonde took it and addressed the crowd. Her voice boomed through Kisara's speakers. "People of Earth! For the first time, I am proud to be one of you. You have stood up against your oppressors and re-claimed your freedom. Now, you must be cautious not to repeat the mistakes that your predecessors have made. This politician lying on the ground before you must answer for his crimes. However, we must not act rashly towards him. We will detain him until we can judge his actions fairly with a trial. Until then, we must round up the other corporate leaders and take them into custody. Onward, to the nearest Global Enterprises tower!"

The crowd cheered and chanted Penguin's name. Then, they chucked the mayor in the back of one of the military trucks. The trucks began to move slowly forward again, and the crowd cleared the way for them so that they could take the lead. Yugi, Ishizu, Joey, and the Noelites walked beside the truck, leading the massive crowd.

As they marched, Kisara hovered over them between the sky scrapers. Bakura's conversation and Yugi's message blared from the huge speakers she carried. Faces appeared in the windows of apartment complexes and office buildings to view the spectacle. They were all the people who had their televisions and radios turned off when the message first aired. Once the people indoors realized what was happening, they raced outside to join the tail end of the procession. Within the hour, their numbers had increased tenfold.

The march halted at the steps of Global Communications, the largest Global Enterprises branch in Domino. The jet black skyscraper towered over the protesters. Yugi took the microphone while Kisara circled the building with her speakers. Yugi's voice boomed through the city, echoing off the other skyscrapers. "Bakura! We know you're in there. Show yourself!"

An evil laugh resounded through the city. It was as if Bakura had his own sound system with the speakers embedded in the Global Communications tower itself. "Ah Yugi! Come to save the word again, have we? Don't you realize that without my leadership, the world would be in absolute chaos?"

Penguin, who was still riding in the military truck, reached over the edge of it and tapped Yugi on the shoulder. Yugi understood her meaning and handed her the microphone. Penguin took a deep breath and recited the first long sentence of an ancient document from memory. "When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation."

The country that had adopted this document was dissolved decades ago, yet its words still swayed the crowd. Bakura, however, was not impressed. The albino CEO spoke slickly to Penguin. "You think that you can just declare yourselves independent from the rest of the world with a few words? Running a government takes skill and experience, but most importantly-"

"—A benevolent heart!" Penguin interrupted.

"Wrong! It takes a powerful military!" From out of nowhere, six military planes zoomed amidst the sky scrapers in an opulent display of power. They fired at the crowd and at Kisara. The crowd erupted in screams of panic while Kisara dodged the bullets by only a hair. Infuriated, Kisara unleashed a massive burst of white lightning at one of the planes. It exploded in mid-air, sending debris flying everywhere. In an attempt to dodge the debris, a second plane careened into Global Communications. It smashed into the sky scraper where it ignited a fire and sent smoke billowing out the side of it. Meanwhile, the prison guards in the trucks raised their weapons and concentrated their fire on another plane, sending it spiraling to the ground. Kisara blasted the three remaining planes, and the people cheered.

During the confusion, Ishizu de-activated her hologram. In her place, Seto Kaiba appeared. He had been watching all the action over Kaiba Corp's satellite, so he knew the score. He yanked the microphone out of Penguin's hand and yelled into it. "Bakura! You can't hide behind your guns forever. Come out here and face me, you coward! I challenge you to a duel!"

Bakura appeared at the front entrance of his sky scraper wearing an extravagant tailored blue suit studded with diamond buttons. A platinum globe-shaped ring gleamed on his left hand. Several years ago when he still possessed the millennium ring, he had hidden a piece of his spirit in his uncle's platinum ring for safe-keeping. When Ryou inherited the ring at age 18, the evil spirit re-possessed the body of the innocent young boy.

Even though there was no visible amplification device on him, Bakura's voice still boomed loud enough for everyone to hear. "Fool! When you challenge me, you challenge the entire oligarchy." Maximillion Pegasus, Brown, Jones, Pattel, and several other richly clad CEOs emerged at his side. Bakura descended the onyx steps before the main entrance of his tower menacingly as she spoke. "Now, since Pegasus is the only other duelist in the oligarchy who knows the difference between a trap card and a spell card, he will be dueling by my side."

The white-haired, brown-eyed CEOs whipped out portable duel disks out of their pockets and strapped them around their wrists. Pegasus's flamboyant pink suit contrasted sharply with Bakura's more dignified one. Seto Kaiba activated a subroutine in his holographic generation system, causing a duel disk to appear on his arm.

"Wait!" Yelled Yugi, "I'm dueling with you!"

The crowd cheered and chanted Yugi's name as Seto grudgingly activated the same subroutine for Yugi's hologram. Deep down, Seto knew that he stood a better chance of winning with Yugi's help than without it, but he still hated relying on the midget with spiky black, red, and yellow hair, who had only grown three centimeters since he was sixteen.

"If you screw this up, I'll have Kisara blast you with white lightning," Seto growled.

The duel disks activated and 4000 life points showed up on a holographic display for each player. "I'm afraid that Yugi will never experience the sweet bliss of death. When this is over, both of you are going straight to the shadow realm!" Bakura taunted.

"No way! Yugi's gonna kick your corporate butts!" Joey shouted.

The other members of the crowd shouted words of support, and one clever individual came up with a chant which spread through all one hundred thousand protesters: "Bakura must lose this game! No more murder in our name! Bakura must lose this game! No more murder in our name!"

The duel disks randomly selected Pegasus to go first. The CEO in the outrageous pink suit drew his cards and eyed his hand with his one good eye. His empty eye socket lay hidden under his smooth white hair. "Kaiba-boy, I'm surprised that you of all people would turn against your own class in favor of these peons. I set one card face-down and end my turn. Your turn, Yugi-boy!"

Yugi drew his cards and examined them. Although the pharaoh was no longer with him, his purple eyes glowed with the fire of a true duelist. "Pegasus! Your days of deceit are about to come to an end. I play Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts in attack mode and set one card face-down. That's all for now." A great holographic beast with sharp claws and a horn on its head appeared on the field. The crowd cheered.

Bakura laughed and said, "Nice try Yugi, but you can't depose your government that easily. I summon Petit Dragon in attack mode!" The crowd roared laugher when a tiny green monster with wings and a ridiculous grin and only 600 attack points materialized on the field. "Wait, that's not all! I play Axe of Despair, boosting my monster's attack power by 1000!" Petit dragon expanded in size, and its attack power grew to 1600. The crowd fell silent as Bakura ordered his monster to attack Yugi's beast.

Gazelle the King of Mythical beast disappeared in a shower of sparks, and Yugi's life pints dropped to 3900. First blood had been drawn, and it belonged to the King of Games. As Yugi's life points feel, he lost a few centimeters in height. "Bakura! Explain yourself"

"Did you forget that this is a shadow game? Every time you lose life points, you shrink! And, once you have lost all your life points, you will no longer have a physical body, nor a holographic one for that matter since Kaiba's holograms are based off your physical form."

Yugi gasped. "How is this possible? Ishizu and I hid the millennium ring in Egypt!"

Bakura held up his hand to reveal a platinum ring in the shape of a globe. "I kept a piece of my spirit hidden in this. When I inherited it from my uncle on my eighteenth birthday, I had to re-learn my shadow powers, but now they are back at full strength."

"Enough chit-chat!" Kaiba interrupted. Blue fire flashed through his eyes. "I don't care how you accomplished your cheap little magic trick! Your intimidation tactics won't work on me, Bakura! It's my turn now. I summon Battle Ox and use him to destroy your Petit Dragon!" An ugly creature with red and gold armor was projected onto the field. With its 1700 attack points, it swung its axe at Bakura's odd green creature and vanquished it. Bakura's life points fell to 3900, and he shrunk just like Yugi had. "Now, I place one card face-down and end my turn."

It was Pegasus's move. "I activate Toon Table of Contents, which allows me to add any toon monster to my hand. I choose Toon Gemini Elf and summon her to the field. It's a pity she can't attack yet. Otherwise, your Battle Ox would be toast Kaiba-boy!" The twin elves appeared on the field with 1900 attack points, and the crowd gasped at the sight of her. They watched in silent anticipation as Pegasus ended his turn and Yugi took his.

"I activate Change of Heart on Toon Gemini Elf and sacrifice her to bring forth Archfiend of Gilfer! Then, I attack your face-down, Pegasus!" A giant dark creature with wings appeared on Yugi's side of the field and stuck Pegasus's face-down monster card, slashing it in two and revealing Mystic Tomato.

"Thank You, Yugi-boy! You've activated Mystic Tomato's special ability, Now, I can summon Dark Rabbit to my side of the field." A ridiculous-looking rabbit with 1100 attack points materialized before Pegasus.

"Your rabbit won't protect you for long, Pegasus! I place one card face-down and end my turn," Yugi concluded.

Bakura studied his cards carefully. They were pretty good, but not quite what he wanted. If he could only stall a little for time, he might be able to pull off the perfect victory. "I place one monster face-down and end my turn," Bakura stated.

"What's the matter, you pig-headed parasite? Are you afraid to face my Battle Ox head-on? Don't worry, he won't be on the field much longer. I activate Soul Exchange, allowing me to use your monster as a sacrifice!" Seto Kaiba's card activated and revealed Bakura's Earthbound Spirit, which was promptly sacrificed. "Now, I sacrifice Battle Ox to summon my Blue Eyes White Dragon!" A holographic image of Kisara's dragon form with 3000 attack points materialized in front of Kaiba.

"Look!" Someone from the crowd shouted, "It's the same dragon that saved us from the airplane!"

The crowd cheered, but Bakura's voice boomed louder than all of them. "Fools! Due to the effects of Soul Exchange, Kaiba's dragon is useless! It can't attack yet."

"Don't worry. You'll get what's coming to you eventually," Kaiba replied with a smirk.

In the background, the smoke billowing out of Global Communications started to abate. The fire had reached its maximum extent, and was now being quelled by the sprinklers inside the building.

"I summon Rogue Doll in attack mode and equip it with Shine Palace, bringing its attack to 2300! Rogue Doll, attack Archfiend of Gilfer!" Pegasus commanded.

"Not so fast, Pegasus! I activate Guidance Armor, re-directing your attack to my Blue Eyes White Dragon!" Kaiba replied.

The purple doll shot its dark magical beam at Kaiba's white dragon, but the dragon retaliated, blasting Pegasus's Rogue Doll to shreds. Pegasus suffered 700 points of damage. His life points dropped to 3300, and Pegasus shrunk accordingly. The CEOs standing behind them cringed when they saw this, but nevertheless tried to maintain as dignified a stance as possible. Pegasus switched his Dark Rabbit into defense mode and ended his turn. The crowd chanted Kaiba's name while Yugi took his turn.

"Thank you, Kaiba. I am in your debt," Yugi said solemnly.

"Shut up and go. The sooner we beat these creeps, the better!" Kaiba replied.

"Fine. I activate fissure, destroying Pegasus's Dark Rabbit and leaving both of our opponents defenseless. Now, I attack Pegasus directly with Archfiend of Gilfer!" Yugi's monster shaved 2200 points off the CEO's life points, reducing him to one third of his previous stature. The pink-clad CEO was now about the size of a bathroom wastebasket. "Now maybe you can get some perspective on all the 'little people' you stepped on while you were making your way to the top. I place another card face-down and end my turn."

"Pegasus, you fool!" Bakura scolded, "It looks like I'll be winning this one on my own. I summon Maha Vailo and equip him with Black Pendant and Mage Power. Ordinarily, that would only boost his power by 1500. However, he gains an extra 500 attack points for each card equipped to him, bringing his attack power to 4050. Maha Vailo, destroy Blue Eyes White Dragon!"

"Oh no you don't!" Yugi interrupted, "I activate Magic Cylinder, which cancels your attack and causes damage to your life pints equal to your monster's attack points. Since your monster has 4050 attack pints and you only have 3900 life points, you lose, Bakura!"

"Nooooooo!" The CEO with shaggy white hair wailed as his life points fell to zero along with his height. As he shrunk, his voice increased in pitch and diminished in volume until the sound of the cheering crowd overwhelmed it.

"Kaiba, finish off Pegasus!" Yugi shouted over the noise of the crowd.

"With pleasure! Blue Eyes, WHITE LIGHTING!"

Seto's dragon blasted the rest of Pegasus's life points away, and the crowd went wild. As soon as Pegasus disappeared, they charged up the steps of Global Communications and grabbed the remaining CEOs. With belts, scarves, and whatever, else they happened to be carrying, they bound the CEOs and tossed them in the back of the military trucks where Domino's Mayor lay. The CEOS struggled helplessly against the people as all their money and political power slipped through their fingers.

Amidst all the commotion, Joan de-activated her hologram briefly to retrieve something from the basement of Our Lady of Faith. She returned with a piece of paper in her hand and gave it to Penguin. Penguin and the other three members of Noel's publicity team gathered around the microphone and warmed up their voices to get the crowd's attention. Then, the familiar Noelite theme song began.

_Maybe we're not so dangerous_

_Why don't you listen to us?_

_Hear us out_

_We've got something to talk about_

_Remember back when_

_The Empire State got hit_

_Then, two sky scrapers bit_

_The dust with much less warning_

_Now there's mourning_

_From a deception, Demolition_

_Buildings don't fall when airplanes hit them_

_All that's left is molten steel_

_The story's too unreal_

As soon as the Noelites sang the first two words of the second chorus, the crowd joined them in song.

_Maybe we're not so dangerous_

_Why don't you listen to us?_

_Hear us out_

_We've got something to talk about_

The crowd stopped singing while Penguin and her team sang the second verse.

_Maybe the real danger lies_

_Where the truth of physics dies_

_Better keep straight all the facts_

_Or find yourself under attack_

With the third and final chorus, not a single member of the crowd remained silent. Even Seto Kaiba, who typically refused to sing along with the masses, joined in the chorus. Even though he sang slightly off-key, nobody noticed because the overall decibel level generated by Kisara's speakers plus a hundred thousand voices was way too loud.

_Maybe we're not so dangerous_

_Why don't you listen to us?_

_Hear us out_

_We've got something to talk about_

When the song was over, someone from the crowd yelled, "I nominate Yugi Moto as our new Prime Minister!"

"I second that nomination!" ten thousand other voices yelled in unison.

"All in favor?" Penguin asked over the microphone.

"Aye!" a hundred thousand voices thundered.

"All opposed?" Penguin asked.

Silence.

"Wait! I don't want to rule the whole world. It wouldn't be right! I was just sitting in Egypt researching the ancient past while Bakura reigned." Yugi objected.

"Then who should run the world?" Penguin asked as the crowd murmured.

"You, the Noelites! Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to introduce you to Joan A.K.A. Kari Rakitan." Yugi grabbed Joan's hand and dragged her up the steps of Global Communications so that the crowd could get a better look at her. "She is the one who orchestrated this revolution, and without her, all of you would still be beholden to Bakura and his band of corporate thugs!" Yugi held Joan's hand and lifted it high into the air while the crowd chanted both of her names.

With only a slight blush, Joan graciously accepted her new post as Prime Minister. She then proceeded to thank all the members of Noel who contributed to freeing the world. She also thanked Rebecca, Father John, Yugi, Ishizu, Kisara, and Kaiba for their special roles in making the revolution work. Then, she sent out a "heartfelt" message to her "boyfriend" Mokuba for being supportive of their efforts and for watching the Kaiba children while his brother risked everything to set the world free. Even though the world had changed forever over the past few hours, Joan knew that the masses were not quite ready to shed their monogamous culture. The Kaibas and the Noelites had almost lost Rebecca's support over their unconventional behavior, and there was no telling how the crowd would react if she publicly proclaimed her love for Seto, a married man. Instead, she simply stood by his side with Yugi as the masses cheered.

**Closing Note: **I finally met David Rovics in person and asked him if he could sing "The Best Democracy Money Can Buy" for me. However, he said he did not know it! He just recorded the song and then promptly forgot it! So, I guess I know it better than he does now. Unfortunately, I had a cold and didn't want to get him sick, so nothing too exciting happened. However, it was still an awesome experience.

Biskittins: I have some vague plans for a sequel, but so far I am still mulling over possibilities in my mind. Oh, and there will be two more chapters in this story just to tie off a few things. However, dinner with Agatha is something that I am saving for a sequel.

The first chapter of "The Best Democracy Money Can Buy" is up!


	38. Aftermath

**Reviewer Recognition:** Thanks for all of your comments. They make me feel all warm and fuzzy! I'm sorry about ending this story. Don't worry, though. There will be more adventures in the prequel and I think I will get around to writing a sequel eventually. I would like to extend a special thanks to my top reviewers in alphabetical order:

Biskittins

Fire Ice and snowcones (Fics)

Lesnuitsdhiver

NitratesTrot

SammieBarone

SheRese53

**Music Lover's Alert:** "Polyamory Song" by David Rovics for the first two parts and "Pyromania" by Cascada for the third part with Penguin.

**Chapter 38 Aftermath**

Eventually, the people dispersed and went back to their homes. They were tired and hungry, but satisfied that they had won a great victory for all mankind.

Joan de-activated her hologram to find Father John, Trevor, and Jamie waiting for her in the church basement. They jumped around her excitedly, all trying to speak at their same time. Their various shades of black hair blurred together before her eyes.

"Slow down," said Joan, "Trevor, you speak first."

The man with soft black hair and emerald eyes grinned broadly. "The information team has been monitoring not only your progress, but the progress of people all around the world! There were revolutions in Tokyo, Berlin, Boston, Dallas…" Trevor trailed off as he forgot the names of the other cities that had revolted.

"… Cairo, Victoria, Tel Aviv, Bangkok, Singapore, Sydney…" Jamie continued, his Anthracite eyes glistening in the dim light of the basement.

"…And the Vatican!" Father John concluded enthusiastically.

"Good! There's just one problem, though," Joan replied.

"What's that?" asked Jamie.

"If I'm going to lead all these people, they are going to expect certain things from me. If they ever find out that I have you—all three of you—there's going to be hell to pay."

The men were silent for a moment. Then, Father John spoke. "No matter what happens, we'll be here for you. We will protect your secret as long as we can, and if you are ever exposed, we will stand by your side and defend your honor." The other two men nodded in agreement.

"Thank You," Joan replied while trying to hug all of them at once, "It means everything to me."

…

Kisara glided onto the meadow in front of Kaiba's safe house and landed with grace. A tall figure wearing a long white trench coat came out to greet her. He touched her massive claw, and she transformed back into her human form. The cold air nipped at her pale skin, and Kisara donned the simple, warm snow-colored dress that Seto gave her quickly. Then, Seto picked her up and carried her inside before her bare feet could catch frostbite. A warm fire crackled inside. Yugi and Ishizu were drifting off to sleep in each other's arms on the couch next to it while Rebecca and Tulip sipped hot chocolate a short distance away, chatting like old friends.

Seto handed Kisara her cell-phone. "This thing has been ringing off the hook since the protest ended."

Sure enough, it rang again as soon as Kisara touched it. She answered it immediately. "Hi Agatha!"

There was a long pause as Agatha asked rapid-fire questions. Seto could not hear exactly what she was saying, but from the timbre of her voice, he was glad that the call wasn't for him.

"No, I'm perfectly fine," Kisara replied.

There was an even longer pause as Agatha scolded Kisara for making her worry.

"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you in advance, but it's just that one thing led to another, and then suddenly I was helping to overthrow the government."

Another, slightly shorter paused followed.

"Yes, I'll be home for dinner… OK. I'll see you soon." Kisara hung up the phone, sighed heavily, and turned to Seto. "I guess I'll see you Thursday night. Agatha wants me back at her place." Kisara stood on her toes, kissed Seto lightly, and started putting on her warm winter boots.

"Wait!" Seto called, "Don't you want to know the genetic analysis of your son?"

"Oh Yeah! I almost forgot about him."

Seto left the sitting room while Kisara tied the laces on her boots. He came back with a stack of about ten pages paper-clipped together and handed them to Kisara. "This is the official report that we entered in the government database, and it is probably the one you'll want to show your mother-in-law."

"There's an unofficial report?" Kisara asked curiously.

"Yes. Your son is actually the clone of Sean Carson, who died nine months ago while breaking into Kaiba Corporation. Before that, he was involved in countless Noelite activities."

"No Way!" Kisara gasped.

"Way."

Kisara gazed at Seto with unfettered wonder in her gorgeous blue eyes. "That means he's like… practically royalty!"

"Yes, and if anyone ever found out his true identity, he would either be shunned for being a clone, or spoiled rotten for being a legend, or some gruesome combination of both."

"I see." Kisara wanted the best for her son, especially since without him she might never have come to the Kaiba mansion to fulfill her destiny. Since she was now a legend herself, she had no doubt that she could provide him with everything he needed to thrive. If there came an appropriate time in the future to reveal his identity to him, he would learn the truth. Until then, he would be raised as Patrick Taylor.

Seto put his arm around Kisara and walked her out to her late father-in-law's old car. With one last sweet and passionate kiss, he saw her off. Kisara started the engine, pulled out of the driveway as it ascended to the surface, and drove back home to her husband and mother-in-law.

….

Moments later, a military truck pulled up in front of the Kaiba mansion. A prison guard with "Detention Center 31" on his uniform got out and rang the doorbell. A muscular young man with shaggy black hair and purple eyes answered the door.

"Is Mokuba Kaiba here?" the guard asked.

"Yes, I am he," the young man replied.

"We have a lady here who is very eager to see you."

Behind the guard at the door, Mokuba could see two others lifting a woman out of the back of the truck. She was clad in the same green uniform as the guards who carried her. Although she was badly bruised and too weak to stand on her own, Mokuba recognized her instantly by her radiant golden hair. "Penguin!" Mokuba bolted past the guard and grabbed Penguin as the other guards lowered her from the truck.

"Ouch! Watch the ribs, you oaf!" Penguin barked.

Mokuba re-adjusted his grip on her so that he was holding her more gently. "I'm just so glad you're alive!"

"Yeah, yeah. Save the mush for later." Penguin made a shooing motion at the guards with her hand. "Thank You, boys. You can go now."

The guards bowed, got back in their vehicle, and drove away. Mokuba carried Penguin inside and set her down on the most luxurious couch he could find. "Can I get you anything? Food? Drink? Medical attention?" Mokuba backed away from her and drifted in the direction of the kitchen.

"I'll take you if that's all right"

Mokuba gulped. "I… um… yeah, that's all right."

"Then get your butt back over here and kiss me already."

Mokuba nervously walked back to the couch and sat down beside Penguin. "Are you sure you're feeling OK?" He asked.

In response, Penguin grabbed the back of Mokuba's head and drew his face towards hers. Their lips pressed together firmly in a passionate lock that captivated every fiber of his soul. Penguin's tongue delved into Mokuba's mouth, savoring his succulent flavor like one would savor a rich piece of chocolate. Mokuba moaned deeply while Penguin worked her magic on him. Over time, he grew light-headed, and his brain screamed for air. Penguin let him have it, and collapsed with her head in his lap. They both panted heavily for a few minutes. Mokuba stroked her hair gently while she dozed off peacefully in his lap.

Several minutes later, Serenity and the children came down the stair. "Mokuba, it's almost time for-" Serenity paused when she saw the sleeping Noelite in Mokuba's lap. Mokuba held his index finger over his lips, and Serenity finished the rest of her sentence in a whisper. "—dinner."

Mokuba took a couple of couch pillows and gently placed them under Penguin's head as he scooted out from under her. Then, he joined his family for dinner.

**Author's Note:** I think I killed Sean too quickly in Rakitan Industries, so you'll get to meet him in the prequel.

One more chapter to go!


	39. Sunday, December 29

**Author's Note:** If you are Catholic and still reading this, you probably already know that December 25 is only the beginning of the Christmas season, not the end of it as Protestants seem to think. Advent is what happens before December 25, and Christmas is what happens after December 25 all the way through Epiphany. Catholics cycle their readings every three years, and I am using the Year A cycle readings for this. I cut a few routine parts out of the mass so you would not be bored by the extra stuff.

**Disclaimer:** I am not a biblical scholar. Someone else translated the Bible. Since the Catholic church is not exactly a democracy, I can't fairly say that I own it. I guess the Pope owns it. However, I do own the sexy, well-endowed Father John.

**Music Lover's Alert:** "The First Noel" is very easy to find. "Noel, Noel" may be a little more difficult, so I have it favorited on my You Tube account. "Noel, Noel" is the English version of "Noel Nouvelet" and it is definitely one of my all-time favorite songs. I first sang it over ten years ago with my middle school choir, and I had a major crush on our soloist. Nothing ever came of that. I think he thought that I was a freak or something. Oh well.

**Chapter 39 Sunday, December 29**

Joan awoke groggily to the sound of Father John's voice. "Prime Minister Joan, Awake! Your people are expecting you!"

Joan yawned and stretched. She was briefly confused by her surroundings. The bed was too narrow to be Kaiba's and too soft for one of the cots at Rakitan Industries. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and looked up at Father John. When she saw his face and the collection of religious trinkets on the dresser, it all came rushing back to her. The revolution was not just a pleasant dream. It really happened!

"Come on! Get up and dress for church!" Father John insisted.

"Church? But I don't have anything good enough to wear. I left my Christmas outfit at Seto's safe house. Are you sure…" Her voice trailed off when she saw the only CEO on earth who had not been arrested standing behind Father John with one of Serenity's self-adjusting outfits on a hanger. It had been pre-colored with a festive pattern of poinsettias, while the hem, sleeves, and neck line were edged with gold. "…Oh. OK."

Joan threw off the covers and jumped out of bed. She had slept in the nude, so there was no need for her to undress. Seto eyed her bountiful breasts with unfettered admiration ash she took the dress out of his hands. "You just may be the most sexy prime minister in history," he commented.

"I guess that makes you one of the luckiest first ladies in history," Joan replied. She pulled the dress over her head, and it settled easily onto her frame. The neck line hugged the edges of her shoulders, accentuating her elegant collar bone. "My hair is a mess," Joan complained, touching her matted dark auburn hair with her right hand.

"That's not my fault," Seto replied while John blushed.

Joan made her way out of Father John's bedroom and into his bathroom. "Mind if I borrow your comb?" she called.

"Go right ahead, your eminence," Father John responded.

"You can drop the formalities," Joan called back as she picked up the priest's comb and ran it through her hair.

Seto came and stood in the bathroom doorway with a smirk on his face. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

Joan's gold-speckled blue eyes looked up at him and saw him twirling a pair of bright red panties. Joan reached out to grab them, but Seto pulled back his hand at the last second. Joan stumbled forward, and Seto caught her with his other hand. He pulled her body close to his and planted a deep, sensual kiss on her lips. Joan gave up trying to reach the panties and surrendered to his intoxicating cologne and powerful tongue.

Father John cleared his throat. "Mass starts in ten minutes. Hurry up!"

Seto released Joan and let her have the panties. Joan quickly slipped them on under her dress, then returned to examining herself in the mirror. She almost never wore make-up, but today she felt naked without it. Seto walked up behind her and pulled back the hair behind right ear. Joan shivered a little as he teased her with his breath. His fingers traced the edge of her ear as he placed something cold and metallic behind it. Joan's face lit up in a silvery glow, and seconds later a beautiful woman with thick eyelashes and red lips was looking back at her.

Joan hastily grabbed her toothbrush and thrust it into her mouth. She brushed her teeth vigorously and then rinsed. Her holographic make-up stayed perfectly in place while she toweled the excess moisture off her face.

Joan was about to go out the door when John grabbed her by the waist and pulled her back into the apartment. "What now?" Joan asked as he twirled her around to face him.

"The Pope called. He wants you and Kaiba to lead the procession into the church. He'll be watching by podcast, and we don't want to disappoint him."

"He's not watching now, is he?" Joan asked.

"No…"

Joan leaned into him and kissed him passionately. He was only two inches taller than her, so she had easy access to his mouth. She ravaged it with enthusiasm until Seto cleared his throat.

"What was it you said about having to hurry?" Seto asked.

Father John pulled back from Joan with an embarrassed laugh. "I don't have anything on me, do I?" he asked nervously, touching his lips as he spoke.

"Not a smudge. Holographic lipstick tends to stay where it was originally intended unless programmed otherwise," Joan answered.

"Good, let's go!" Father Johns said as he rushed out the door, already fully garbed in his Christmas vestments.

Joan and Seto followed him to the front of the church, where they found Kisara, Yugi, Ishizu, Rebecca, and several Noelites waiting for them.

Salt and Pepper quickly flanked Joan, and Tam stood close behind her. The burly brothers made her feel small when she stood between them. She turned her head to look at Tam with a perplexed expression on her face. "We're your secret service now," Tam explained.

Joan glanced at John and Seto, then turned back to Tam. "So, your job is to keep my secrets?"

"If necessary, yes," Tam replied.

The music started, and the train slowly processed into the church. Penguin and her team were sitting with the choir singing a song that most churches had not dared to play since the government played since the government had declared them outlaws.

_The First Noel, the Angels did say_

_Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay_

_In fields where they lay keeping their sheep_

_On a cold winter's night that was so deep._

_Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel_

_Born is the King of Israel!_

_They looked up and saw a star_

_Shining in the East beyond them far_

_And to the earth it gave great light_

_And so it continued both day and night._

Joan could feel everyone's eyes on her, but she tried not to notice. Instead, she fixated her eyes on the cheery Christmas decorations in front of her and sang along to the entrance song.

_And by the light of that same star_

_Three Wise men came from country far_

_To seek for a King was their intent_

_And to follow the star wherever it went._

_Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel_

_Born is the King of Israel!_

_This star drew nigh to the northwest_

_O'er Bethlehem it took its rest_

_And there it did both Pause and stay_

_Right o'er the place where Jesus lay._

When they arrived at the front of the church, they genuflected and then filtered into the first row of pews. Salt and Pepper ushered Joan to sit next to Mokuba, who was already waiting for her in the reserved section of the pews. "Are we going to have to do this every Sunday?" Joan whispered to him.

"I hope not," Mokuba replied as he cast a longing glance at Serenity and Sarah, who were sitting a few spaces to the right of him with Seto.

_Then entered in those Wise men three_

_Full reverently upon their knee_

_And offered there in His presence_

_Their gold and myrrh and frankincense._

_Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel_

_Born is the King of Israel!_

_Then let us all with one accord_

_Sing praises to our heavenly Lord_

_That hath made Heaven and earth of nought_

_And with his blood mankind has bought._

Father John introduced the mass and mentioned how fortunate they were to have their new prime minister present. Then, he called up the first lector.

The lector walked up to the ambo and began reading. He was a plain man, with black hair and a simple black suit, and his voice was pleasant as he spoke. "A reading from Sirach 3: For the Lord sets a father in honor over his children and confirms a mother's authority over her sons. Those who honor their father atone for sins; they store up riches who respect their mother. Those who honor their father will have joy in their own children, and when they pray they are heard. Those who respect their father will live a long life; those who obey the Lord honor their mother. My son, be steadfast in honoring your father; do not grieve him as long as he lives. Even if his mind fails, be considerate of him; do not revile him because you are in your prime. Kindness to a father will not be forgotten; it will serve as a sin offering—it will take lasting root. The word of the Lord."

"Thanks be to God," the congregation replied.

The lector walked back to his seat, and a cantor from the choir took his place. She wore a colorful green turtleneck sweater with a red scarf, and her short grey hair curled in a cloud around her head. "Our responsorial psalm is the psalm of the day in your missalette. Please follow along."

_Blessed are those who fear the Lord._

_Blessed are those who fear the Lord._

The congregation joined in for the second line of the chorus, and the cantor chanted the verses on her own.

_Blessed are you who fear the Lord,  
>who walk in his ways!<br>For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;  
>blessed shall you be, and favored.<em>

_Blessed are those who fear the Lord._

_Blessed are those who fear the Lord_

_._

_Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine  
>in the recesses of your home;<br>Your children like olive plants  
>around your table<em>

_Blessed are those who fear the Lord._

_Blessed are those who fear the Lord._

_Behold, thus is the man blessed  
>who fears the Lord.<br>The Lord bless you from Zion:  
>may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem<br>all the days of your life._

_Blessed are those who fear the Lord._

_Blessed are those who fear the Lord._

The cantor took her seat again, and the second lector went up to the lectern. He was much like the first one, except that his suit was blue and he had chosen to wear a festive tie with snowmen on it. "A reading from Colossians 3. Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, and patience, for bearing one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teach and admonish one another in all wisdom, and sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. The word of the Lord."

"Thanks be to God," the congregation replied.

The choir sang the Gospel Acclamation, and Father John went up to read the Gospel. "The lord be with you."

"And also with you," the congregation replied.

"A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew."

"Glory to you, oh Lord."

Father John began reading directly from the large book with gold edges that lay before him. "When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. 'Get up,' he said, 'take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.'

"So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: 'Out of Egypt I called my son.'

"After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, 'Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child's life are dead.'

"So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene. The Gospel of the Lord."

"Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ," the congregation replied automatically.

Father John then began his homily. It was almost exactly as Joan had written it, with a few modifications due to yesterday's events. "One evil that perpetually plagues humanity is the presence of corrupt leaders. In the time of Jesus, Herod and Archelaus were the embodiment of that evil. Modern times are not much different. Today, instead of calling them Herod and Archelaus, we call them Brown, Pegasus, and Bakura. However, unlike the people of biblical times, we have more power over our leadership and our destiny. When our leaders betray our trust as they did on Christmas Day, it is not only our right, but out duty as Christians to set things right. We forget that all too often as we sit idly in the lap of luxury while our brothers and sisters around the world suffer at the hands of corporations.

"Today is the Feast of the Holy Family, and as we celebrate it, we are called to honor not only our immediate family members, but those more distant cousins of ours around the world. Today also marks a turning point in human history as our new prime minister Joan's first day in office. As she guides our human family on its new path of light and hope, I ask you all to pray that she will not be overtaken by the same dark forces that governed our former leaders. Enjoy this time of celebration, yet also remain vigilant lest history repeats itself again.

"Keep in mind what is important in life: your friends, your family members, your loved ones. Husbands, love your wives, not their brand-name high heels and cocktail dresses. Children, obey your parents in everything. When they tell you to get off your smart phone and sit down at the dinner table, it is because they love you and want to spend time with you. Most importantly, fathers, do not provoke your children. This is a lesson that hopefully our world leaders will never forget. When God's children become discouraged, a braking point is inevitable. We saw it happen yesterday when a few brave souls took to the streets, and the rest of the world followed.

"When you go home today, do not turn on your television sets and sit idly while the world changes around you. Instead, take an active role in making the world a better place. Talk with your friends and neighbors. Organize at the local level before someone else steps into the power vacuum left by our mayors and governors. As they say in one of our Ordinary Time songs, 'Let us Build a City of God!"

Father John paused for a moment, then sat down. After a few more minutes of silence to allow the congregation to contemplate his homily, he stood and led them in the Nicene Creed.

The rest of the mass progressed normally, and at the end Joan and her friends stood to join Father John in his procession out of the church while the choir sang Noel, Noel.

_Noel nouvelet, Noel chantons ici,  
>Devotes gens, crions a Dieu merci!<br>Chantons Noel pour le Roi nouvelet, Noel!  
>Chantons Noel pour le Roi nouvelet,<br>Noel nouvelet, Noel chantons ici! _

**End**

**Final Note:** Due to popular demand, I will do my best to make a sequel to this. However, right now I'm working on the prequel. I hope you enjoy it as much as you enjoyed this one!


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